Big Yellow Taxi
by Elizabeth Athineu
Summary: Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone? This is exactly the problem facing every being on earth as the nefarious schemes of King Oberon unfold. Can the BPRD, a young woman, and Prince Nuada save the world in time?
1. The Forest Comes Alive

**Big Yellow Taxi**

"_**Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone?"**_

"_**It should be noted that there are considerable differences betwixt the races of elves and men, despite their slight similarities in appearance. Men are mortal and were created by the combining of water, earth, and air. They will die when injury, illness, or time have taken one of the elements entirely out of their body. Elves, on the other hand, are creatures born of the eldest race on earth, trees. Elves live as immortal beings until time or dire wound removes their spirit. They then become stone; petrified as the woods in the farthest reaches of the globe. Fortunately for man, who rely on the guidance of elves, their kind cannot be robbed of their spirit in a permanent sense until they have fulfilled the high purpose granted them by the almighty creator. Until such time, an elf who is killed shall be reborn through the same trees present in the first forests. The last important fact one can attribute to elves and men is that they share an equal emptiness in their hearts that cannot be filled with material gain, knowledge, or power. Love, a binding and unifying compassion, is the only substance fit to fill the void in any creature."**_

_**From: **__**The Divine Authority on Beings**__** by The Great Ak**_

The mist that usually rose over the forest floor in the mornings had dissipated quickly that sunrise. Many of the native badgers and birds had sniffed pensively at sunrise to detect what sort of change was headed towards their peaceful wood. Man had yet to invade or even settle too close to the creatures' homes for centuries. A large mansion lay over a mile away from the nearest den and the tree-house that belonged to the child of the family lay nearly the same distance from the eldest tree. Three families of badgers, two large groups of squirrels, an entire warren of rabbits, and numerous birds made their way slowly to the eldest tree and waited patiently as the tension grew greater throughout the morning. By noon, the makeshift mob of animals were all sitting perfectly still and silent, silently waiting for the tree to give some clue, any clue as to what was transpiring. The trees spoke frequently and clearly to the animals, giving them all the tools they needed to survive against the growing threat of humans. Now, it seemed the trees were as terrified by a force more powerful than man; so frightened, that they were stunned into silence.

A young rabbit wandered forward towards the root of the elder tree and bravely sniffed for a more subtle hint to give his family and friends comfort. Suddenly, the ground began to contort violently, the roots of the elder tree moaning and warping in an earthen sea of silent labor pain. Pale roots shot up from the earth and began to wrap around one another, writhing in a bizarre rhythm that seemed to create its own comprehensive pattern. In a few moments, the outline of a 'stick-man' lay near the elder tree and began to pulse as if having a heart. The animals watched, frozen in amazement, as the roots expanded and relaxed again and again. With each expansion, the roots were looking more and more corporeal; forming arms, legs, a torso, a trunk, and finally a head. Golden hair slid quickly from the head as more recognizably human features began to make themselves evident on the creature's face. The roots that had formed the chest now began to rise and fall, giving the creature it was forming the gift of breath. In a wink, fingers and other extremities were fully formed.

It now appeared that roots had never come through the ground at all, but rather a perfect and pale human lay still and breathing on the forest floor. The young rabbit moved closer once again, noting the strange inanimation of the being. Why would a human lay so still? For that matter, how did a human come from a tree? The being had white skin, as white as the snow that covered the forest in winter. Its lips were dark, as were the skins around its eyes. The creatures whispered silently to themselves wondering what parts of the tree could have created something so light and dark at the same time. As the inaudible discussion continued, the young rabbit noticed something very strange indeed. This human's ears were quite pointed. Perhaps, he thought to himself, this was a tree spirit and not a human at all. Folk tales among the forest creatures spoke of the ancient race of elves that had sprung from the trees as guardians of the earth; pale, perfect, and bearing pointed ears. Could this be the beginning of the elves once again? The rabbit, suddenly filled with childish enthusiasm, leapt onto the creature's chest and lowered its head, breathing in every scent possible as his family shouted for him to come back. The rabbit stared at the creature for several moments. In a flash, the rabbit felt the nearly-human stir beneath him. He leapt away and headed back towards the warren in terror as the being sat bolt upright screaming.

"Nualaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" it screamed. As all of the other animals fled the scene, a single mynah bird remained to watch the creature's actions. Nothing human had harmed the forest yet, but there was a first for everything. The being grunted and quickly climbed to its feet. The mynah, having seen a vast number of years more than his forest brethren, immediately recognized him. He was royalty of a dwindling line. An elf, but not just any elf, an elf prince. This was the exiled Prince Nuada. The bird cawed disapprovingly and flitted off into the rest of the forest to announce the outcast's arrival. The prince leaned against the elder tree, hearing the old one's voice telling him to be still and know that he was safe. He leaned forward and dropped to his knees, as he began trembling. "Sister," he whispered. His eyes narrowed and he began scanning his surroundings carefully. "Sister?" he called. The calling of the bird in the distance began ringing in his ears. He groaned and clutched his brow with one hand. Pain began to radiate throughout his body beginning at the crown of his head. "Nuala, where are you? Sister?!" With the final cry for familiarity, the prince fell onto the forest floor, gasping for breath. He felt weak. He had never felt so weak before in all of his long years. It was as if the warrior within had been withdrawn with the dagger that Nuala had plunged into herself. "Nuala," he whispered remorsefully as the full memory of what had transpired suddenly came flooding back. "What have I done?" The prince moaned once again as a deep and dreamless sleep overtook him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky was overcast once again. Titania looked up at the sky as the car sped over the winding path towards her mother's mansion. She lived between the mansion in England and her father's large apartment in New Jersey. It was an odd situation, to say the least, but the girl had learned to adapt smoothly. If there was one thing that she did well, it was adapt. Her father helped in the running of a rather abnormal government program while her mother lived lavishly as a fashion designer/model for Europe. Nadia, her mother, seemed to have forgiven the girl for the several months it took to regain her perfect figure after her birth, but Titania still felt a tension between them. Her father had been having trouble staying in contact as well, even during the visits; but still, Titania had managed to find her own place in her books and the few friends she had in the servants at her mother's mansion as well as her father's colleagues. She had finished a visit only a day before. She had always hated the plane trip and the car ride out to the ridiculously large dwelling, but it seemed more tolerable than any other time before. The visit had been particularly dull, and Titania looked forward to being back in her tree house and observing Bethmoora forest once again.

She sighed heavily and looked down at the evidence to the only infraction she had ever committed; a book, confiscated from her father's study. The book was old, too old to be something he would have truly enjoyed. Tom Manning was all about the now and being in the know. Titania had learned to be tolerant of this in being silent and keeping to herself. She flipped through the ancient pages again and again. It was written in a language that she didn't quite understand, but perhaps one of the servants in the mansion, who spoke fluently the dead and smoldering Pagan tongues, could decode it for her. The car slowed and the driver, a newer employee of her mother, announced their arrival. She waited only a few seconds after the vehicle had stopped to open the door and hurry towards the door of the mansion. She skidded to a halt, realizing that she had forgotten her things. Frowning in frustration, Titania raced back to the car and gathered up the two suitcases and small overnight bag from the vehicle. She turned towards the driver who shook his head and smiled.

"Sorry about that, Klaus," she said.

"Are you sure I cannot take something for you meinne schunne?" he asked with a laugh.

"No, I could use some kind of exercise after being in that plane," Titania replied as she turned back towards the mansion. "Mom tips you every time, right?" she called behind her.

"Ja, and generously," he said with a kind wave.

Titania heard him climb back into the small car and start the engine. The butler, Magnus, opened the door and lowered his head with a similarly kind smile. Titania may not have found unconditional acceptance with either parent, but she seemed to have befriended the servants and completely endeared herself to any of the people she had come to know at either home.

"Is mom home right now?" she asked as Magnus closed the door and followed her to the base of the stairs.

"Not at the moment, miss," he replied with a tone of disapproval. "May I carry your things to your room while you settle in? Misses Badcrumble is in the kitchen and has been waiting a good while for your return."

Titania thought for a moment. She had missed all of her friends here at the mansion and hadn't been able to spend any real time with her friends at her father's work. Perhaps it would be nice to have a short chat with Misses Badcrumble before going out to the tree house. Ah, the tree house; Titania felt a longing for it as she walked through the mansion towards the large kitchen past the public dining room. She had spent a better portion of all her time here in England at the tree house and studying the forest around it. The animals never seemed too afraid of her, even the naturally timid rabbits. One in particular, a large and speckled white rabbit, had seemed to have been there since she had been a little girl. Titania had moved to the mansion with her mother at the age of four and couldn't remember much of her parents' marriage. What she did remember was the discovery of magic. As she continued wandering through the enormous dining room and over to the door of the kitchen, she thought about the book she had taken from her father's room and the very day that she had begun to believe in the magic in the forest. The book had a strange symbol on the front that echoed back towards the forest and its holdings. Perhaps she had been drawn to it. She shook the deeper thoughts aside and made her way into the kitchen.

Misses Badcrumble was a round, bright skinned, broad smiling, and squat Scottish woman. She had come to work at the mansion at the same time Titania and her mother had moved in. Titania felt a grand-daughterly connection to the woman. She smiled and breathed in the scent of freshly baked bread as she stepped into the stone-laid room. The kitchen seemed to have been there longer than the house, wrought from stone and iron and always brimming with warmth. From her history studies, Titania could tell that the kitchen had been made in the style of the medieval kitchens with large ovens and even larger pantries and countertops. More modern appliances and cleanliness were present as well, but the feel of an ancient room for housing the most ancient of arts gave anyone that walked into Misses Badcrumble's territory a feeling of comfort.

"Aye! There you are, dearie!" Misses Badcrumble exclaimed from the corner oven as Titania entered. The woman wiped her hands on the filthy apron around her waist and waddled hurriedly over to the girl. Titania smiled and wrapped her arms around the woman tightly. "So good to see you home, wee one."

"It's good to be back, Misses Badcrumble," Titania said with a tone of sheer disappointment from past events. Misses Badcrumble took either side of the girl's head in her hands.

"What happened, love? Was the visit with your father a bad one?" she asked softly. Titania sighed and looked down.

"No, it just didn't happen. He wasn't there at all," she replied. Misses Badcrumble's smile faded into a reproachful scowl. "I'm rethinking having my sixteenth there."

"That daft git better rouse some sense to himself before he loses what matters most," Misses Badcrumble said angrily. "Of all the ridiculous, no time with you at all? Nonsense!" The old woman grabbed a nearby spoon and waved it menacingly at nothing in particular. "If I had the funds I'd go there myself and give him a good thrashing. Your mother, as well, for not being here today."

"It's alright, I kind of prefer it this way," Titania lied. Misses Badcrumble shook her head and waddled towards a farther counter where various crates, sacks, and small parcels lay jumbled and waiting for orders. "Besides, there's a nice sky out and I'd like to go out to the forest for a while."

"You beware of those woods, child," the cook said, adding a trembling to her voice for effect. "There's all manner of pixies and faeries making trouble for us big folk in those woods. They're older than my old mum was when she passed on, God rest her soul. If you're not careful, they'll have you bewitched and captive, they will. Mischief makers, every last one of them."

Titania smiled to herself and looked towards the door. "I think it would be interesting to meet one."

"Ah, you say that now," Misses Badcrumble parried as she waddled back towards the girl carrying a nicely sized basket. "But you'd change your tune in the minutes shortly after the meeting. They hate us, the faerie folk do. It's not at all like your bedtime stories from America, dearie. There's no wishes granted by faeries, no dancing with pixies, and nothing good to be had with elves." The old woman carefully placed the basket in the girl's hands and breathed deeply. "Mushroom rings popped up yesterday. Dark magic's afoot, mind you."

"Don't worry, I'm void of anything truly exciting happening to me good or bad," Titania replied with a slight laugh. "Those things happen to people I know, but not me."

Misses Badcrumble gently stroked the girl's face and smiled warmly. "Go on with you, and be back after dark before your mother gets home. No doubt she be in at an ungodly hour."

"I'll be back, then," Titania said with a wink and hurried out the door and into the dining room. Once outside the doors, the girl peered into the basket and smiled brightly. Misses Badcrumble had, no doubt, been hard at work in the kitchen all day. There was fresh soda bread, three berry tarts, two cheese crumpets, and a biscuit. Titania was never quite able to eat all of the sweets that the woman had graced her with in her childhood, but she knew that the rabbits, squirrels, badgers, and birds were always glad to help. She felt all the heartache of the nonexistent visit melting away as she headed out the French doors to the veranda off the dining room and out into the forest.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Manning paced back and forth as his last employee sat signing an incident report. He rung his hands and wiped pouring sweat from his brow. He panted and slipped three calcium antacids in his mouth, chewing them furiously.

"You want me to grovel or something? Because that's not going to happen, no. Tom Manning does not grovel," he said firmly. The dark haired young woman with piercing dark eyes glanced up at him with a gaze as hot as her persona. He froze and frowned. "I should grovel, shouldn't I?"

"It won't matter," the woman replied. "A normal life for us starts far away from this prison."

"Liz, the world out there won't accept all of you! What are you going to do for a living? It's not like you can walk into any place of business and apply? Who's going to hire Hellboy?" the man ranted.

"We'll get by, Manning," the woman replied between tightened lips. She was growing more and more angry as surges of hormones and emotions began swelling within her. "We always have some way or another."

"Yes, but you were here! You had what you needed including a little something to satiate that streak of thrill seeking he has," Manning retorted. "What are you going to do about that now? Where are you even going to live?!"

"I DON'T KNOW, ALRIGHT!" she shouted back as a flicker of flame enveloped the crown of her head. Manning looked away and tried to think of something to ease the tension and begin the process of cajoling the team back together. The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense would be nothing without its paranormal operatives. This was his worst nightmare. Liz sighed and put down the pen. "Look, this isn't easy for us, either. It's not as if we woke up and decided we were going to throw away everything we've worked for over the past years and try to scrape out a new life on the street."

Manning, despite his poor emotional intelligence could see the beginnings of tears in the young woman's eyes. He moved towards her slowly, cautiously.

"I understand that everyone had a little upheaval, last week, but . . ." he began.

"No, you don't understand. Don't you get it? Red and I are trying to have just a smidgeon of a normal relationship, Abe lost his first love, and there's no telling what Krauss is thinking or feeling," she said angrily. "This isn't the life we want anymore. I don't think it ever was."

"But what could be done to change that? We could add some benefits. Vacation time! Everyone likes to get away, right? We could work something out with . . ." Manning's voice faded as a look of horror crossed his face. "Oh my God, what day is it?"

"It's Friday," Liz replied emotionlessly.

Manning's face twisted in embarrassment and he began slapping his forehead repeatedly. "I was supposed to go and pick Tania up from JFK!" he shouted.

Liz rolled her eyes. "That was two weeks ago, Manning," she corrected. The man froze and stared at the young woman in disbelief.

"What?"

"Tania was here two weeks ago. You were supposed to take her to JFK to go home this morning, which I gather you didn't," Liz said as she picked up the pen and set back to scribbling in the details of the events surrounding the prince, the princess, the crown, and the golden army. She shook her head. "You didn't even notice she was there, did you?"

"Well I was a little preoccupied," Manning said defensively. "I'm sure there's a later flight and I can talk with her until then. Wait! That's it! What about what Tania would say about all this?"

"She said it was great to see someone flexing their independent thought processes and that we only need to consider our health and friendships before making any permanent decisions," Liz retorted. Manning continued to stare at her in bewilderment. "I took her at about seven. God, I hate getting up that early."

"She left?" Manning said softly.

"Yep," Liz said as she dotted the final I. She stood and quickly handed the stack of bureaucratic nonsense to the man. "So did we."

"I need to call her," he whispered.

"You do that. In the meantime, we will all get packed and get out of your way," Liz replied. She left the room, leaving Manning to stand in stunned silence as the world collapsed around him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The prince lay unconscious in the forest for hours. A few birds flew overhead and three squirrels neared the elder tree at one point, but none of them dared near the notably violent son of Balor. There were many myths and theories as to why the happy-go-lucky golden boy had turned so fully into a seething pool of hatred for humanity. His hatred had positively consumed him. The dark skin around his eyes and mouth were only a small token of the night that dwelled within him. As the sun rose to the centre of the sky, a white speckled rabbit entered the clearing. He gazed apprehensively at the elf and cleared his throat. The elder tree had fashioned a kilt out of bark and vine, but that was all that the prince now had to his name. The rabbit shuddered at thinking how angry the youth would be when he woke and discovered his present state of destitution. Still, as emissary to all the royals, it was his job to convey information from one king, prince, queen, or princess to another. He hopped silently up to the lifeless form and raised himself onto his haunches.

As he stood more fully, his legs extended further. His height reached about four feet and his body swelled and widened into the form of a portly man. His buck teeth protruded over his lower lip and his enormous eyes glowed with anticipation. His ears had become enormous, nearly the size of an average child's arm with a greater thickness to them. The rabbit leaned forward and cleared his throat once again.

"M-m-my prince?" he asked cautiously. The royal groaned and climbed slowly to his feet, leaning against the tree once more. "Oh, so glad to see you well and about again, sire."

"Where am I?" Nuada said.

"Why Bethmoora forest, birthplace of all the elves!" the rabbit replied. "And here stand I, Puck, your humble servant, on behalf of Oberon king of the Faerie folk."

"Oberon?" Nuada suddenly exclaimed. "Oberon was banned from Bethmoora forest! He was sent, with his rebels, into the wilds of the barbaric regions where the humans waged their great battles against one another. How dare he return to my father's home!"

"If you please , sire, this was all done years before me. I believe your father said nothing when he returned and his majesty took that as permittance to reside here once again," the rabbit reasoned.

"Silence is not permission," Nuada countered. He looked down at the bizarre creature. He smirked. This was a pwca, native to the highlands of the old countries. He must have been somewhere near where he and Nuala had fallen. Perhaps not in the general area, but near enough. "I am no longer on the isle of greenery, am I?"

"Oh, well, I suppose that you could call this an isle of greenery, sire, but the truly emerald isle where the goblins dwell is a good distance that way and out to sea," the pwca replied. "May I be of any assistance to you at the moment, my prince?"

Nuada looked into his eyes deeply and breathed heavily. "Something terrible happened at the Giant's Causeway," he explained. "I must find some way to speak with The Modron."

The pwca's eyes widened in horror. "The lady of mysteries, sire?" the faerie whispered.

"The same," Nuada replied. He looked down at his humble attire. "But first fetch me something more fitting to appear in at the audience. I will not face her so debased."

"As you wish, sire," the rabbit replied. He knelt, allowing the form of the timid forest creature to take full control once more. With a quick wink, the rabbit bounded out of the clearing and into the forest. His direction was steadfast, he needed to get to the mansion where the curious one lived. The girl that brought him jam tarts and visited with the trees alone lived a great distance away, but not too far for the pwca to be unable to call upon the favour of borrowing something.


	2. Titania Rhiannon Manning

**Chapter 2**

Titania walked as quickly as she could while still being able to appreciate the beauty in the world around her. Titania had the gift of deep appreciation not afforded to her busy and insular parents. The two had been so wrapped up in their own works over the years that her father had not noticed the world of magic and her mother had never seen the forest. An odd observation became clear as she strode further into the woods where the trees grew older and thicker. There were no visible animals today, no birds singing high in the trees. Titania stopped and turned in every direction, looking carefully for her friends. There were no creatures to be seen for quite a distance. She sighed and bit her bottom lip in thought. What could have driven the animals out of their natural routine? She thought about this for a moment until a familiar flash of white fur sped past her. She nearly fell backwards trying to follow the rabbit's gaze. She had always called this particular rabbit Lewis for obvious literary reasons. She smiled brightly and watched him a few seconds more. The creature darted swiftly towards the mansion. Titania furrowed her brow at the strange path. Why would one of the animals head towards a dwelling for humans? None of the creatures had dared wonder onto her mother's proper grounds except for the birds that had easy access to an escape route. She waited a few moments more to see if he would come back.

Puck nearly flew over the cool, green grass as thunder began to rumble in the distance. He frowned. The prince may not have been able to get ill like a human, but he would be quite disagreeable if he met with the discomfort of rain without protection. There were no near dwellings for the royal to use for the evening and the pwca was sure that he would be unable to contact Modron with his spirit before nightfall. The rabbit stopped and gazed at what was available on the clothesline as one of the humans began pulling down the wash in order to protect it from the rain as well. He grunted in deep thought and then turned to the greenhouses. A toothy grin spread across his face as he noticed large pieces of blue tarp. Nuada's favourite colour was blue. Surely the prince would appreciate not only the gesture of familiarity in the colour, but in the functionality of the tarp as well. He could use it as a cloak until he made contact with his own kind, when ever that might be. The rabbit hastened over to the tarp and quickly transformed into his slightly human self. He reached down and hurriedly stuffed a large sheet of tarp into an invisible pouch he had fashioned for himself out of his shed winter coats. In a twinkling, the rabbit had returned to his smaller form and bounded back towards the forest.

Titania breathed deeply and turned back to the forest. If Lewis was headed for the mansion, then maybe he was expecting bad weather and needed shelter in the woodshed. Her mind lit up with the revelation. That must have been why all of the other creatures were hiding as well. A low moment of thunder rumbled in the distance. Titania looked towards it and sighed. English rain was not sad at all, it was peaceful. The thunder this time seemed closer than the last. The storm would be on them quickly. Suddenly, the flash of white that was Lewis, darted past her yet again. She laughed and hurried after him.

"Wait, Lewis! I haven't said hello yet!" she called after him.

Puck began to feel a panic at thinking he might lead the unsuspecting human to the prince. Nuada was reputably relentless in his desire to destroy the threat of humans. He would have no pity for the young girl whatsoever. Puck found this terribly disturbing, but he felt that he could do well in keeping the girl away from the prince and vice versa. If the truth were to be known, the pwca felt that the prince was missing out on a world of wonders. Clearly he had never eaten a biscuit from the mansion's kitchen. That alone would have given him reason enough to spare them. He leapt high into the air and landed with a thud in the clearing where Nuada sat waiting. The pwca raised himself on his haunches and bowed low.

"I've recurred, sire. I believe you will be most satisfied," the pwca panted as he withdrew the tarp from his pouch and quickly handed it to the royal. "It is blue, sire, I know you'll find it suitable."

"Suitable for what?" Nuada scoffed as he held the canvas aloft. "What in Aiglin's realm is this thing?"

"It is used by the humans to cover their land and protect it from snow and rain, sire," Puck replied excitedly. He folded his paw-like hands in front of him and waited for the prince's approval. Nuada glared at it hatefully as he began to detect the smell of humans and lifeless metals.

"The earth, Puck, does not need protecting from snow and rain," Nuada said in a low voice. "That is a typical human fallacy, though, is it not? Doctoring what needs none of their attention."

Puck lowered himself timidly to the ground and morphed into a rabbit once more. Humbling himself in the hopes of not receiving any wrath from the youth. Nuada had never notably attacked one of his own kind, but Puck had also been forced to deal with the ignorant anger of Oberon as of late.

"Please, my prince, at least try it before the rains come. Surely you do not wish to be wearied by a sleepless night when facing The Modron?" Puck reasoned. Nuada scowled and looked down at the humble coney. "I-I-I-I can find something else for you on the morrow!"

"Humph," the prince scoffed as he pulled the strange material over his head and allowed the stiff, blue tarp to drape in it's odd pattern over his broad shoulders. Puck smiled as best he could.

"It is most flattering, sire," the rabbit lied. Nuada's face suddenly lit with anger. He reached down and seized the rabbit by the front of his neck. "S-s-sire, please, if I have displeased you . . ."

"If?!" Nuada shouted angrily. "How dare you! Insinuating that human creation is fitting for me! Apologize, pwca; Now!"

A few feet away, Titania heard the commotion and took in a deep breath of shock and anger. Who would wander into this part of the countryside? The forest was all but exclusive from the rest of the region and even ended at a cliff overlooking the ocean. She drew in anger to replace the fear and clutched the basket to herself for protection. Misses Badcrumble's food might have been light as a feather, but the basket was woven of oak and would pack a wallop of she needed it. She slowly made her way to the source of the voices and gasped at the sight of Lewis being held cruelly by the throat by a stranger. She growled, glad that the person was turned away from her.

Puck struggled in the prince's grasp and coughed madly.

"Apologize for your insolence at once!" he shouted. Nuada had never been attacked by a fifteen year old girl of any race before, and had no idea that it was best when in their presence to be as watchful from every angle possible in that teenagers are rarely worried about the protocol of dueling when fighting at all. A flash of red and brilliant orange filled his vision as the basket collided with the back of his head. He grunted in pain as he dropped Puck. The rabbit gasped for breath and climbed back onto all fours as Titania hurled the basket into the small of the prince's back, causing him to fall forward painfully. Puck felt a fire burning from the tips of his paws to the ends of his whiskers. If Nuada got to his feet at all, the girl would be dead in an instant. The rabbit stopped for a moment as a thought came to him. Perhaps the girl was safer than he reckoned seeing as the prince was unarmed. The royal had never killed with his hands, only with a blade. But blade or no blade, her safety was not assured.

"You horrible, horrible, horrible person! Hurting a rabbit!" Titania cried as she began hitting the prince's left shoulder with the heavy basket. Nuada began to shout furiously in his native tongue. Puck's ears began to burn even more at the thought of his anger giving him strength. The pwca bolted past the two and a good three feet from the girl. He flopped to the ground and promptly began his best feigned cry of pain. Titania turned and panted heavily, dropping the basket on the prince as she hurried to her fallen friend. Puck breathed a sigh of relief. If he could get Titania to go home without making sure the prince was down, then she would be safe.

To Puck's dismay, the girl simply picked him up and began to hide behind a tree as she withdrew her cellular phone from her pants' pocket. She dialed a number furiously and held the phone to her ear. Puck craned his aching neck back to where the prince should have been. He sighed with relief as he watched the youth leap into the elder tree and begin nursing a rather large cut on his shoulder.

"Hello, officer? . . . This is Titania Manning. . . . There's a drifter here, on my mother's property. . . .Where? Bethmoora Manor out in the forest. . . . What? I want you to come and get him! . . . Why not? . . . Surely it wouldn't take you too long to find the only human being in a blue tarp in the woods! . . . Yes, that's what they're wearing! . . . But, but there's a storm coming; can't you try to come out tonight? . . . Urgh!" Titania said quickly before pressing the end button in frustration. She turned back to the clearing and stared cautiously at the peaceful forest. She furrowed her brow and looked around slowly. The drifter, whoever they were, was gone into the rest of the forest. Thunder rumbled more loudly and at a closer distance. She looked down at the rabbit in her arms. "I guess we'll be better off at home, Lewis."

The rabbit grunted and darted away from the girl. He had to disappear in order to get her to leave. Titania frowned and shook her head. She walked over to the basket and shook her head at the sight of the baked goods lying helter skelter on the forest floor. The forest animals would clean it up before the rain would even be able to touch it. Yet another rumble of thunder signaled for the girl to head home immediately. She sighed heavily and started back for the mansion. As if the past two weeks hadn't been bad enough, now the forest had been polluted with the presence of uninvited rubbish. Titania had a good and open heart, but had little tolerance for people who had no respect for another's rights and freedoms. This drifter had nearly strangled her closest friend as it were. She knew that Lewis must have been, in fact, about six or seven Lewises, but seniority was hardly a reason for her to feel more obligated to assist him. She strode sadly back to the mansion and wondered if it would make a difference to allow herself to cry for a short while.

Puck darted up the tree where Nuada sat brooding. The prince turned to the rabbit and frowned.

The rabbit lowered its head and sighed. "Sorry about that, your majesty," he said. "We haven't had that sort of thing in our forest to date." Lewis hoped that his words came across to Nuada as meaning that they had not had a human in the forest at all, and not as it was truly meant in the light that they had never had a prince accost a well-meaning citizen for an act of kindness.

Nuada raised his hand and sighed heavily. "I am sorry, my friend. If this was what could be found without personal interaction with the humans, then I thank you," he said heavily. Puck nodded and looked down at the ground. A small stir of animal and bird voices expressing joy and laughter suddenly met the two. Nuada looked over the edge of the nearest branch as well. Hatred and anger filled his darkened eyes and flared his pale nostrils as the forest animals began collecting and handing out the contents left from the basket to one another. He leapt from the tree into the midst of them and looked down at the creatures with scalding disapproval. "What do you think you are doing!?!"

"Have a care, now, princey," an old badger replied as he stuffed a bit of crumpet in his mouth. "If you keep carrying on you'll have the miss back out to give you another one. And that means we've all got to hide. The birds 'll get all the sweeties. Rude buggers."

"You are eating of their food!?! Do you have any idea what that is made of? Where it comes from? It is vile!" he shouted. "If you partake of their nourishment then you fall under their leech-craft! I command you to leave it!"

"Go on, what's wrong with it?" the old badger said with a wave. "Cheese might be a bit off the rocker, but the old cook's made it taste fine all the same."

Nuada screamed furiously at the sky. The creatures froze for a moment as the prince finished his frustrated emission and tried to compose himself. In an instant, the animals had fled the scene once again. The prince fought away the urge to begin crying for the losses of late. He had lost his family, his place, every possession, and now his presence over the animals. Puck hopped up to the young royal and stared down at the small piece of soda bread left on the ground. His ears twitched as they stood side by side in awkward silence. Puck raised his head to the prince and cleared his throat.

"Are you going to eat that?" he asked innocently.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mansion felt warm and pleasant as Titania slipped in through the French doors. The familiar and pungent scent of ginger splashed with foreign chemicals greeted her nostrils. The girl coughed for a moment, then went to go and greet its bearer. Sitting in the first living room, was Nadia, clothed in a slinky yellow dress draped with the lifeless corpse of a mink. Titania's stomach retched. She hated the thought of furs and had made it clear that she would never, ever wear one no matter the occasion. Her father also hated the idea, and not just for the cost. Tom Manning was a firm believer that once man had ceased living in caves, that the only animal skin appropriate for wearing was that of the noble cow.

Nadia heard the footsteps of her daughter and rose gracefully. She squealed with over-emphasized delight and opened her arms to the girl.

"Darling!" Nadia said melodically. Titania forced a smile onto her face and embraced her mother tightly, ignoring the screams of the perfume. "Oh, how glad I am that you're home! We must go shopping tomorrow to celebrate!"

"For a little while, mom, but there's a few things I'd like to see to in the forest tomorrow," Titania said. Nadia rolled her eyes and laid her arm lazily over the girl's shoulders as they began walking towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

"I don't see what you see in that pest-infested tree mausoleum," the woman said disgustedly. "I am so glad you came in when you did. I can't imagine how uncomfortable it would be out there in this weather at night."

Titania froze. She looked to one side and brought her fingers to her mouth pensively. What about that drifter in the woods? A very human and very compassionate side of the girl suddenly concocted a plan to do something to help with that. She turned back to her mother.

"So, what's for dinner?" she asked.

"Misses Badcrumble's been at that weird local shop again and bought the most dreadful white fish for a stew!" Nadia exclaimed in horror. "Can you believe that?"

"It sounds delicious," Titania offered. Nadia scrunched her nose, but smiled at the girl.

"I'll go and tell her to have it on in a few," she said. "Go on and unpack. I'll send Magnus to tell you when it's ready."

Titania nodded back and hurried up the large flight of stairs toward her bedroom. She wasn't really excited by the thought of fish stew for dinner, but she did want the meal to be done with as quickly as possible in order to get out to the forest with an instant tent, a blanket, and something for the drifter to eat. She didn't like the idea of whomever being in her mother's forest without permission especially if he would be harming the wildlife, but she liked the idea of someone suffering even less. Besides, if the drifter fell asleep in the tent then they would be easy to find in the morning.

Dinner went by as quickly and quietly as Titania had hoped. She and her mother usually had very little to actually say to one another, which was convenient as the size of the table would have prevented them from sharing easily. The girl thanked her mother and assured her that she was too tired to tell her about the trip until their outing tomorrow. Nadia agreed and went off to her room, reminding her daughter that she needed beauty sleep. Titania winced at the woman's words, reassuring herself that she meant well.

As the woman left the room, Titania snuck quickly into the kitchen and informed Misses Badcrumble that she had not eaten enough. The cook obliged the girl with a wink and placed a potato pie, a fresh carrot, and a small bottle of tea in a smaller crate lined with a towel for her. Titania thanked her with a hug and hurried back out to the forest. It was very dark and blustery, winds blowing her long dark hair in every direction. A storm truly was on the way. Titania ran to the woodshed and withdrew a tent that unfolded instantaneously and a sleeping bag from the supplies. She looked out towards the forest and smiled. There was barely enough light for her to find her way in and then back from the clearing where she had encountered the stranger.

Lightning began to flash across the sky as she hurried into the forest. She barely noticed anything around her on this journey, her focus solely on completing her task and getting back to the safety of her warm bed. She stopped, frozen, in the clearing as a bright, loud flash of lightning and thunder announced that she needed go no further. She looked up and around for a moment before speaking loudly.

"Whoever you are, I'm sorry I hit you like that, but you really shouldn't hurt another living being, okay?" she called. Silence, save for the wind rushing past her, was the only answer. She frowned and placed the tent on the ground, opening it for use and laying the sleeping bag beside it with the crate of food on top of it. "Look, here's something to eat and for you to sleep in. If you don't get out of the rain you'll catch pneumonia or something. And don't believe all that stuff about being struck by lightning near a tree, lightning has never hurt this forest. Just, don't hurt Lewis again. Goodnight."

After the final goodnight, a very menacing spray of light and crashing thunder signaled to the girl that it was time to leave. She jumped and then raced out of the woods faster than she had ever dared run in the darkness before. As she departed, Nuada slid down from the tree and stared at her form disappearing into the forest. He narrowed his eyes in confusion. Was this the human that had attacked him earlier? Why in the world would she come back to help him? He sighed heavily and looked at the gifts she had left. Puck appeared beside him and glanced back and forth between the prince and the tent.

"Perhaps it wouldn't hurt you to stay out of the rain, sire," Puck offered. Nuada ignored him and stared off into the distance. Where _was_ he?

Miles across the sea, a strange gathering of animals had congregated around a particularly large tree in Central Park. There, they watched the roots of the tree writhe and ripple with life. A few moments later, the female half of the royal line, lay breathing quietly on the forest floor, waiting to wake and find her brother.


	3. An Apology and Unexpected Visit

**Chapter 3**

Manning sighed heavily as he pressed the auto dial for Titania's phone. What was wrong with him? Titania had been there for two weeks and he hadn't spent a day with her? He had only his former employees to blame for this. When he was done making things as right as he could with his daughter, he was going to give each one of them a piece of his mind. Maybe that would shame them into staying. The girl's phone rang thrice before she picked up.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Tania, honey, daddy was a very irresponsible and insensitive jerk the past two weeks, but he has a good reason," Tom said soothingly.

Titania rolled her eyes. "Dad, please don't talk about yourself in the third person," she groaned. "It was fine. I did a lot of reading and I got some new music. Liz and I even spent a little time together when she took me back to the airport."

"Tania, listen, why don't you come here for Christmas this year? Or maybe we can work something out for you to come next month. Would you like that? Things have quieted down a lot, really," Tom said quickly. "Whatever you'd like to do, sweetie, I can arrange it!'

"Dad, I have school to get back to in a month," Titania replied. "Besides, it wasn't as bad as you think. Really, I did have a good time."

"Well," Tom replied with a heavy sigh. "If you think you'll be alright . . ."

"I am fine, dad," Titania said firmly. She looked outside her window and smiled slightly at seeing a few raindrops splash against her window. In a few seconds, there was a full blown shower outside. "I have to go now, dad, I'm really tired."

"Okay, Tania," Manning said with relief. Talking with the girl after one of his boo-boos was always awkward and uncomfortable. "I'll talk to you later on in the week, okay?"

"Sure, dad," Titania replied as she opened the curtains to allow the sounds and sights of the rain to fill her dimly lit room. "Bye."

She clicked the phone into its off position and then set it down on her desk. She sat down on the edge of her bed and gazed out the window longingly. She had loved playing in the rain as a little girl, but hadn't been outside to enjoy a shower like this in years. She wondered what the forest animals did during these showers. Biology classes had the common man believing that they hid in their dens until it passed, but Titania thought better of that. Animals probably knew how to enjoy the rain better than any other creature. She leaned back against her pillows, folding her arms behind her head. She now wondered what the drifter in the forest doing? She hoped that he was safe and dry.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Puck shook his fur madly as he entered the tent behind the prince. He sighed and hopped into a corner, waiting patiently to see what his new master of sorts would do now. Nuada sat down on the floor of the tent, looking very uncomfortable to be in need of shelter from a human creation. He looked positively wounded. The pwca took a cautious step forward and then inched his way over to the crate Titania had left. He sniffed it for a moment, turning back to see if the prince was watching him and would voice any protests to his exploration. For the time being, the immortal was lost in thought, staring into nothing as he sat silent and perfectly still.

Puck swiftly lifted up the lid of the crate with his muzzle and allowed his head into the crate. The rest of his body followed easily as the scent of the fresh carrot caught his attention. Grasping it quickly between his teeth, the pwca leapt back out of the crate and sat on the floor contentedly. He glanced in the prince's direction before starting to nibble at the vegetable slowly.

"I've killed her, Puck," the prince said softly. The rabbit pricked up his ears and stared at the youth curiously. "I've killed my sister."

"Surely not, sire," Puck replied, more intent on keeping the carrot between his paws than in trying to offer the royal comfort of any kind.

"She is not here. Elves are reborn in our home, they say," he said sounding more sorrowful with every breath he drew. "So you said when I woke. I remember that much."

"But sire, the legends also state that the purpose of an elf may determine their place of rebirth and the person whom they choose to ally themselves with." Puck turned the carrot to the side and started on the other end of the carrot while still speaking. "Perhaps she was reborn somewhere else, or she has already fulfilled her purpose."

Nuada shook his head and quickly turned away from the pwca. "I grow weary," he said softly. "Wake me shortly before sunrise."

The pwca, remembering that it was impolite to speak with one's mouth full especially while in the presence of royalty said nothing. Nuada leaned back and laid to one side, shielding the sight of a single tear rolling down his pale cheek from the rabbit. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, hoping to blot away the evils waiting for him with his midnight brow. Perhaps things would feel and seem differently after a night's rest. The Modron would not be hard to find. Puck set the carrot down, watching the prince with apprehension. He felt a pity for the elf. Their place in the world was hard enough especially as time began to move without their permission. Elves had never been quite as versatile as humans, least of all Nuada. Puck hopped slowly over to the still form of the nearly sleeping elf and sat down behind his shoulders. The sight of such a proud being lying dejected on the ground and barely shielded from the rain filled the pwca with sadness.

"Goodnight, your highness," Puck said softly. Nuada said nothing. The pwca laid up against him, burying his head in his paws as he closed his eyes. In a moment, Puck was sound asleep beside the ancient royal. As the night drew on, Nuada found himself lying awake, and unable to weep in the hours he felt most inclined to do so.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abraham Sapien looked around the back of the compound quietly. He had never really taken time to take in the scenery anywhere he went. Now, things seemed even less interesting than before. The sky was star-less and the air too thick to breathe properly even for a normal individual. He sighed and sat back down on one of the stone benches overlooking the skyline. Even the lights over the city seemed dull and tired. Nothing was beautiful or fascinating anymore. Perhaps after a few months away from the BPRD he would find a more fulfilling life without the memories of Nuala constantly plaguing him. Her amber eyes and melodic voice haunted him every moment he did not fill his thoughts with something factual and rigid.

A cool breeze swept past the enigma as he sat out in the night. There was no feeling it, of course, but the sound met him all the same. That was how it would be from this point forward, he supposed. To hear, and hear only, without feeling whatsoever.

"Well, I suppose it's all back to what Tennyson said," the semi-mammal said heavily. He wished terribly that he could cry. Perhaps the release of tears would help in cleansing these pains away.

"What did he say?" a voice asked from behind him. Too enveloped in sadness to recognize the presence of another, the man answered.

"It is better to have loved and lost . . . ," Abe replied with tears drenching his voice. ". . .than to have never loved at all."

"Why would love have anything to do with loss, Abraham?" the voice said again.

"Because I lost the only woman that ever . . ." he began to wail, stopping in mid-sentence as something struck him. "Abraham?!" He whirled around, wanting to believe that he had not just been had by his memories yet again, but at the same time hoping that he was not going so mad that he would now be seeing things as well as hearing them. His wide, black eyes seemed to widen all the more as he stood face to face with a pale creature clad in an enormous flag of the Netherlands. He felt the fluid in his body freeze and burn all at once.

"I am so glad to see you are well, Abraham," Nuala said with a bright smile. "It took some time to find a bird that knew where to find you and fetch me something to put on. I hurried as quickly as I could."

"Princess," Abe whispered. He stood stunned and perfectly still as she moved closer to him. A sense of wonderful relief washed over him causing his heart to race. As Nuala stood only an inch from him, he felt the racing become too much and immediately collapsed.

Nuala stared down at the fallen being in amazement. "Abraham?"


	4. Greeting Royalty

**Chapter 4**

Titania woke early the next morning. She had hoped to be out and into the forest before her mother could suggest going shopping; no such luck. Nadia had been up for an hour or so before her daughter and it appeared that she had already been calling around to make special plans for the outing. Titania groaned at the thought of what the day would hold. She hated shopping for its own sake. She could not understand at all how her mother made it into a hobby that she spent a good portion of every month on. Titania forced a smile across her face as Nadia looked up from the couch in the east drawing room before the public dining room.

"Good morning, darling," she said with a heavy tone of sweet that made Titania feel ill. She wished her mother would use the voice she had heard when she was younger. Since becoming incredibly busy over the past few years, the woman had developed an increasingly faux falsetto that she used in nearly all situations.

"Good morning, mom," she said placing her arms around the woman. Already, the gingered aura had been wrapped around the woman in a thick layer of unnecessary scent. "So, what's the on the docket for today?"

"Oh, it's dreadful, darling!" Nadia said waving her arms in the air expressively. "I've been called to London for some kind of publicity shoot and I just won't be home all day!" Titania hid her smile of relief and managed not to mouth the words 'jack pot'. She donned her best frown and looked to the side. Nadia gently touched the side of her daughter's face and heaved a sigh. "I am so sorry my dear. One disappointment after another! Not to worry, I will pick up something extra special for you today. Just for you!"

"You don't have to," Titania said, loathing the idea of her mother bringing back some horrendous trendy new shirt that looked like a painted hedgehog or a pair of boots impractical for any enjoyment on a long walk. Nadia smiled and shook her head. Titania thought for a moment. "What about a cat from the shelter or something? London's had a problem with overcrowding lately and I really want a cat."

"But all the cats we've ever had have ended up missing, Tania. And that's quite a bit of work with all the licensing, but I'll try my best!" Nadia said. Titania nodded as her mother looked at her watch. "Oh no! I'm going to be late! Darling, you'll understand if mummy skips breakfast with you? I'll be back for dinner."

"That sounds great, mom," Titania said, glancing towards the hallway into the dining room. "I've got some reading to do anyway."

Nadia rolled her eyes as she strode towards the hallway leading to the front door. "Honey, you need to get your head out of those books and experience a few things while you're young," Nadia called over her shoulder. "You'll regret it if you don't, dear!"

Titania shook her head and turned back towards the dining room. She hurried towards Misses Badcrumble's kitchen and told the old woman that she would prefer to eat breakfast on the go.

"It's always on the go for you, isn't it? Why can't you ever take an hour inside to eat?" Misses Badcrumble chided. Titania frowned and looked back out the door. "Oh, alright. I'll get another basket ready. What you did to the last one is beyond me. Must've hurt yourself or something else with all the frayed ends on it now."

Titania's expression fell. She hadn't thought about any wounds she might have left on the drifter. Maybe she should see to that and try to remove the man herself. She could certainly do a better and more gentle job than the police. She hurried back upstairs and got out the first aid kit from the first bathroom. She raced back to her bedroom and took her overnight bag, slipping the first aid kit inside. The book she had taken was still in it. She thought of how wonderful it would be to do the reading out in the forest itself.

She grabbed her hunter green cloak she wore in the colder months and wrapped it tightly around herself before slinging the pack over one shoulder. The pictures she had already seen in the book had been going over and over in her mind. It would be worth the two weeks in 'exile' to have something truly incredible to read. Besides, it would be fun to see the look on her father, or any of his colleagues' faces, when she returned the tome. She grasped the other strap excitedly and slid down the banister with a childish grin. It was one of the few noticeable rebellions that the girl made against those in the mansion.

When the girl arrived back in the kitchen, Misses Badcrumble looked at her lovingly. She held a basket in one hand, apparently already packed and ready to go. Titania smiled and shook her head at the woman's efficiency. As she reached forward and took the parcel from the woman's hand, she felt Misses Badcrumble holding tightly to the handle. Titania stared at her in concern. The old woman leaned forward and stared firmly at the girl.

"Heed my warning, lassie," the woman said slowly and sternly. "Flee the sight of anything unusual. Magic is not safe for a wee girl. It has killed before, it will not be wary of doing it again." Titania stared at the woman in disbelief. Misses Badcrumble had made it clear that she found her trips to the forest foolish, but she had never made a fuss like this before. "Watch for the fairy rings."

"I will, Misses Badcrumble," Titania whispered in confusion. "I promise."

"Alright then, off you go," the old woman said as she finally relinquished the basket.

Titania backed slowly out of the kitchen and headed out the doors swiftly. What was going on with the old cook? Had something been discovered in the forest by her mother that she hadn't been told? Nadia tried to keep up with weather, any sightings of dangerous animals, or other things that might have been pertinent to Titania's excursions. Nothing dangerous had ever happened in the forest . . . yet.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Puck woke the prince before sunrise and told him that he would head back to the human settlement to get better clothing for him. Nuada had given him permission and had quickly left the tent, heading back into the branches of the elder tree wearing only the kilt once again. He hoped Puck would return swiftly and that he would be able to make contact with The Modron soon. Usually a decision to contact one of the great ladies of the wood warranted an immediate response of whether or not the lady would grant an audience. Why had no one responded? Had he been so far away from the homelands that they had forgotten him? The animals seemed to remember; they had little respect for him at all, but they knew of him.

Puck had raced to the mansion, slipping into the basement through one of the vents. He had been curious many times about what the humans kept close to the earth and had visited the basement on a few of such occasions. The mistress kept a large number of things below the mansion; old appliances, boxes of nick-nacks, decorations, artwork that was no longer in fashion, and old fashions that could be used as works of art. Among the clothing kept in the basement were some of the items Nadia had won in the divorce to punish Tom; his armour, weaponry, and outfits from ancient soldiers. There were turn of the century French, American Revolutionary, Ming Chinese, and Tokugawa Japanese to name a few. Puck looked carefully at the Japanese display. The shogun outfit looked like it would fit Nuada. It also looked like something an elf prince would wear proudly. Surely there would be no consternation if Puck brought this back to the scantily clad royal.

The pwca quickly stuffed the basic armour (excluding the helmet), the underclothing, the boots, and even the small bokun that went with the ensemble, into the magic pouch. Perhaps the prince would be more civil after having a weapon in his grasp. It would be necessary now more than ever to keep Titania away from the woods and to get Nuada to The Modron. Puck slipped quietly out of the mansion again and raced back to the centre of the forest.

Once clothed, Nuada knelt and began more firmly trying to make some kind of connection with the lady of mystery. He grunted and slammed his fist into the ground in frustration. Why wasn't any answer being made? Was he being punished for his actions? He growled and stood, closing his eyes to try and contemplate what should be done next.

"Any luck, sire?" Puck asked cautiously.

"I do not understand," the prince breathed softly. He had not tried to contact any of his own kind like this for some time. The only contact with another of his race that he had desired and needed was what he had with Nuala, and that was assured whether he had been wicked or not. He began pacing and placed a hand protectively over the hilt of the bokun that lay against his side. It felt proper to have a blade once again. He sighed heavily and looked towards the sky.

"Trouble speaking with the authorities?" a nearby voice cawed. Nuada turned and saw a large, black mynah bird glaring at him. "You can't go home again, you know."

"Servant of The Clionatha," Nuada said angrily. "Go and make a request to The Modron for me; now."

The mynah laughed bitterly. "You assume a lot for a spoiled brat," the bird hissed. "I serve no one. Even Oberon dares not make demands of me."

Nuada's eyes widened at recognizing the voice. "The Lady Morrighan?"

"And what brings the humbled prince back to the beginning?" she asked in amusement. "If you will tell me all of the story surrounding it in the court of my sisters, then I will go and arrange an audience."

"I will," Nuada said with a nod to her. "And forgive my rudeness, my lady."

"Forgiveness granted. You have much to learn about the homelands, Nuada Silverlance." The bird turned and spread her wings. "You are not among filthy trolls, foolish goblins, and silly ogres any longer. You are among the first clans, the pure, and the vengeful. Wait in the forest for instructions and harm nothing."

Nuada frowned and watched the bird fly hurriedly out over the tree tops. The Morrighan had been intolerant of him since his childhood. She was his aunt, by birthright, but there had never been any real connection between them. Aine, his mother, had left the great sisterhood to marry his father. Perhaps the old mistress of war resented that. He sighed heavily and began going over what he would say to The Modron aloud.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania moved hurriedly into the woods and tried to trace her steps back to where she had left the tent as best she could. She stopped every now and again, noting that the creatures were still quite silent today. She walked cautiously, listening for sounds of life of any kind. As she came close to the central clearing of the woods where most her late night readings as a girl had taken place, she heard a strange voice. It was a man's voice, but it was not speaking English, or a rightly recognizable tongue. Her eyes widened after a moment. It was similar to the rough Gaelic that the servants spoke on occasion, but only just, it seemed older and stranger than that. She set down her satchel and the basket and inched closer to the clearing, listening all the more cautiously now.

Titania peered through the branches of the shrub carefully, trying to make out the figure without making any sound herself. She leaned closer to the two and suddenly felt a sharp pain around her ankle. She gasped and looked down, seeing a root that had somehow twisted itself around the base of her leg. She drew in a sharp breath and quickly reached down to pull the nuisance away. As she grasped the root around the one ankle, a root suddenly appeared from the other side, wrapping tightly around the other. She gasped more loudly and felt the roots begin to tug. She lifted her right leg in an attempt to firmly kick the root away in panic.

Titania had momentarily forgotten that she stood upright much better on two legs especially when being pulled gently in another direction. She felt the other ankle slip out from underneath her as she tumbled backwards. The roots began dragging her more roughly towards a large tree nearby. Titania narrowed her eyes and tried to grab various plants and rocks to prevent the tree from taking her. She cried out as the rocks and roots of the plants formed small cuts on her hands and fingers. The tree won, pulling the girl to itself fully. Titania panted heavily as she looked up at the natural relic. In an instant, two branches lowered towards her, lifting her up at the shoulder as they wrapped tightly around her arms and upper body. Titania felt the grip of the tree increase as she tried furiously to pull away.

"Help!" she screamed. "Anyone, help me!"

Titania groaned as the branches became even tighter, making breathing as laborious as trying to get free. This was a bad dream, it had to be. Trees do not take prisoners. She closed her eyes and tried to shake herself back into reality. As she furrowed her brow and repeated the words 'wake up' to herself silently, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The pace was rapid, but not urgent. She opened her eyes to get a better look at whomever was coming to her rescue. Her already opened eyes widened further at the sight of the prince standing only a few feet away. She gasped and leaned backwards against the tree.

"Who are you?" he demanded. Titania froze, feeling all expression and energy having frozen as well. "I order you to tell me your name, human!"

"Human?" she replied in quiet amazement.

"How descriptive," he retorted. "As probable as it is for a mere mortal to be without the divine gift of creativity, I do not believe that is your name. Tell me your name and then state your business quickly." Titania stared at him in shock. Was he wearing the clothing of a shogun? Nuada glared at her and drew the bokun, quickly holding it to her throat. "Very well, if you will not answer me then I will remove the threat of your humanity."

"Sire, no!" Puck suddenly exclaimed, leaping in front of the girl. He raised himself onto his haunches, remaining a rabbit, and stretching his paws out to either side as if trying to block the prince's blade from the girl. Unfortunately for Puck, his size would have only stopped the prince had he been aiming at her ankles. "Please, sire! Remember the words of The Morrighan!"

"The Morrighan is neither queen nor my superior," he retorted. "Humans are dangerous, Puck, this one is as much a threat to your peaceful home as a troop of men."

"If you please, sire, she has only ever been kind to us," Puck said defensively. "Please release her and demand that she never return. I am sure she would be more than willing."

"No I won't!" Titania suddenly shouted. The two turned to her in confusion. Titania had been completely taken aback by all of this; the tree, the strange man, and now Lewis. She might have been dreaming. That fish must have been bad! Still, she was not going to let someone, even in a dream, keep her out of her forest. "I have as much a right to be here as anyone. More than you do! You're trespassing!"

"How dare you!" Nuada growled at the girl, forcing the edge of the bokun to pierce her neck ever so slightly. "It never ceases to disgust me how ridiculously insolent humans are! One less of your kind will be most refreshing."

"Sire, please!" Puck said as he began to transform. "Please do not hurt her, please! Titania has only ever cared for our forest!"

"Titania?" Nuada repeated. The tree loosened its grip on the girl as he turned and stared at the girl in amazement. "Is that your name? Titania?"

"Titania Manning," the girl replied angrily.

Nuada laughed scornfully. "The name of the most treacherous queen of myth, not that I expect you to know who she was or what the truth of her existence is; how amusing."

"And what's your name you abusive weirdo?" Titania demanded.

The prince scowled at her once again. "I am Prince Nuada Silverlance the son of King Balor of the elves." He stared back at her proudly.

"You're an elf?" she asked. Titania felt her heart thundering in her chest. Fear like this had never taken hold of her before and it must have been obvious now. Nuada smirked and slightly relaxed his grip on the hilt. Now it was the girl who laughed. "You're wearing an old shogun get up that you probably stole from a museum near the institution you broke out of and you expect me to believe that you're an elf! You look nothing like an elf!"

"Explain!" Nuada demanded hotly.

"Elves are beautiful, flawless beings with golden hair and blue eyes, and glowing smiles," she replied. Nuada growled and stared harshly at the girl. "You look more like a . . ."

"A what?" the prince hissed. Puck stood upright and laid a hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Oh, sire, she is quite frightened. Please let her go and tell her never to return," the pwca repeated. Nuada turned and glared at the pwca. "Please sire, for your sister."

"Do not mention my sister!" Nuada shouted. He turned away from the girl and aimed his angry gaze at the rabbit creature. "Go stand elsewhere while I finish."

"N-n-n-no," Puck stammered. Nuada stared at the rabbit enraged. "S-s-s-sire, she is innocent and I will not see you kill her."

"Hence the order to stand elsewhere," the prince growled. As the elf and the pwca stared at one another, Titania managed to pull her legs and arms free by leaning fully against the tree and sliding down then up in one swift move. Fortunately, neither seemed to notice. Whoever this man was, she needed to get the authorities to deal with him and a medical person to see to her. She must have been hallucinating about Lewis, but the man was the same being that she had seen the day before. The girl quickly darted back towards the mansion. Nuada and Puck both heard the girl's footsteps and turned. Nuada growled and headed after her with Puck bounding not far behind, still pleading with him. Titania could hear someone behind her and felt her chest begin to ache with fear. She demanded her body either wake up or speed up, preferably both. Finally, the sight of the mansion came into view from the edge of the forest. Titania leaned against a tree for a moment to catch her breath. In a flash, the prince stood in front of her, grasping her tightly around the throat.

"It is most unbecoming to turn your back on royalty," he snarled. Titania gasped for a moment, then felt all the world grow cold and dark. Nuada watched in horror as the girl grew cold and still in his hand. He released her and jumped a pace backwards. Had he killed this girl with his hands? Puck joined them a moment later and began to shriek. Nuada began to shiver at the sight of the lifeless girl. The Morrighan would be very upset now. Perhaps he deserved any punishment. _Then again_, he thought to himself as he carefully kneeled beside the girl, _perhaps she is simply unconscious_. For the first time in many years, Prince Nuada prayed desperately that the human in front of him was not dead.


	5. Evil Stirs

**Chapter 5**

It was a difficult decision for Nuala; whether to wait for Abraham to wake or to take him inside herself while struggling with the flag that a hawk had retrieved for her. In the end, she decided that she had best bring him inside before something happened outside that she would not be able to protect him from. She looked over the skyline as she grasped the fish-man under the shoulders and began to gently drag him towards the door. She remembered the last time she had been inside the compound as she continued to move to the door, exerting an amount of physical strength that exceeded anything she had done before.

A sadness came to her at remembering the strength of her brother. Nuada had always been so strong in heart and body. She felt the knife's point at her breast once more, feeling the memory of killing the two of them in one blow. She had murdered her brother. She knew that her brother would have killed Abraham, Anung un Rama, the woman, and anyone else that would displease him with their presence in the future; that included all humanity. Still, she felt that her one act was far more wicked than anything her brother could have hoped to achieve. Nuada had been unkind to her briefly, but he would never have harmed her as she had harmed him.

"My head," Abe muttered groggily. Nuala set him down inches from the doorway. She knelt over him and touched the side of his face. "Am I dreaming?"

"No, Abraham," she said sweetly. "My people can be reborn if we have yet to fulfill our purpose. We are born beneath the elder tree nearest to the place where we are to find such fulfillment. "

Abe reached up and gently touched the elf maid's face. She smiled brightly, feeling the sadness start to melt away at the thought of being with this man who truly understood and cared for her. Abe looked to the side in concern. "But, wait a moment," he said as he began to sit upright. Nuala placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "What about the prince? Will your brother be re-born as well?"

Nuala frowned and sighed heavily. "I do not sense my brother," she whispered. Abe's expression fell in sympathy for the elf. She noted this and placed a hand under his scaly chin. "But he fulfilled a most wonderful purpose."

"What was his purpose?" Abe asked. He felt the need to kick himself as he stood. Had he implied with his words that he had thought that her brother had no purpose? Nuala simply waited for him to stand and then looked into his large, black eyes as she spoke.

"He brought us together," she replied. Abe smiled back as he took her hand. "Come, let us go and speak with the others. I sense from you that something terrible has happened since your return."

Abe nodded and led the way back into the compound. The rest of the group would be just as surprised, if not more, to see Nuala alive. Then, he wanted a few moments alone to truly tell the princess how he felt and comfort her for her loss. The past few days had seemed so terribly dark, but now the sun seemed to be rising.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nuada watched as Puck fussed over the girl, checking her breathing and pulse at her neck. He turned to the prince.

"Do something! I cannot sense anything through this fur and I cannot transform like this!" he shouted desperately.

The prince frowned and knelt next to the girl. Creatures like the pwca could not transform when truly terrified. It was not often that he allowed himself to touch another creature. His sister had a gift that allowed her to see into the pasts, minds, and hearts of other creatures. The prince had never been able to do such a thing, but he feared deeply the thought that another being might be able to do the same to him. The perfection of the elves still suffered from their own neuroses, and Nuada's ran deeper than most.

He placed a hand gently beside the girl's throat and suddenly noticed her chest rise and fall. "She is alive, Puck; alive and breathing," he said. He pushed away the urge to finish the sentence with the words 'for now' or 'unfortunately'. It had confused him that the girl had returned to the forest to offer a stranger shelter, for this must have been the same girl, but it still weighed heavily on him that she had given him a beating. His senses were damaged somehow. After speaking with the Modron and being back with the elves of the homelands, he knew they would return.

"Do you think yourself above even the smallest task?" a voice behind him chided. Nuada felt a warmth that resembled embarrassment wash over him. He turned, stood, and faced the Morrighan in bird form. "I gave you very simple instructions and here I find nearly all of them disobeyed."

"You are not above me," Nuada countered angrily. The Morrighan hissed and flew towards him, causing the prince to duck instinctively. She landed a few feet past the girl and stared angrily at him, transforming into the being that he had seen in his father's court. She looked down at the girl and then back into his eyes. In her gaze, he saw a command to explain what had happened. Instead, the prince turned away and looked to the ground. "I must speak to the Modron and ask her where the last of our kind live. I must find them, Lady Morrighan. Our people are dying and I must lead us to freedom."

"You are no leader, Nuada," she said coldly. He whirled around, heartbroken to receive such an attack on his place in the world. "You are no king. The time for you to act should not be spent in petty arguing, in bloodshed."

"You sound like my father," he muttered.

"What a crime," Morrighan retorted as she reached down and placed a hand on Titania's head and nodded towards Puck. "One that is worthy of death from what I hear."

The prince growled loudly and stormed over to the woman, looming over her glowing with anger. The Morrighan looked more like a human, her skin being more peach than white by comparison to his family. All of the line of the sisterhood had a more human appearance than the other elves. The Morrighan had piercing crimson eyes shaped like spearheads whose point plunged into her cheeks. Adding to the intensity of her form was the fact that such piercings did not bleed, making one assume that she was unable to do so. The same darkness that surrounded the prince's eyes surrounded the woman's. She was clad in a long robe of the mynah feathers that were her other form and her hair hung about her face in untamed tresses of midnight black, another mark that separated her from her kind. Nuada had forgotten exactly what her presence struck into the hearts of all beings and felt chilled at the reminder. He continued his glare as she looked down at Titania, observing for herself what must have transpired between them.

"Why do you hate me so?" he asked loudly. The Morrighan smirked and rose, but did not lift her gaze to his. "In my years here you were always filled with anger for me, with contempt."

"I will answer your question, prince, when you can tell me what my sister's death was purposed for," she replied, now lifting her blood-eyes to his. The sight of one so ancient and so connected to the true ways of his people would have been awe inspiring had it not been for poor circumstances. This was where he and his sister had always belonged. The Morrighan grinned at hearing the prince's thoughts and stepped past him. "You needn't consult the Modron for the whereabouts of your people. She will merely give you the same words that I will, seeing as you have yet to have accomplished a full task in your life. You will find the route that your people took in leaving in the Faerie Ring, the great gathering of the magical creatures and the knowledgeable humans of this continent."

"But the entrance is lost to us," he argued, moving towards her. "At the great rift, where man began to expand their selfish empires and our people separated, the entrance was to be kept only by the lower beings and . . ." his voice trailed off.

"And humans of the ancient times who were, if you recall, one of your father's greatest allies in the end," the Morrighan replied. "When the war ended, your father had such a wonderful consul with learned men. It is a shame, really, that the rift and rebellion of Oberon ruined all of that."

"Father should have fought harder in the rift to keep our lands sacred." Nuada breathed deeply and clutched the hilt of the bokun again. "Where do I find the Faerie Ring? I will leave at once."

"You'll do no such thing," the Morrighan said firmly as she swept in front of him. "You will wait here in the forest, as I told you before, until I send you further instructions. It would be far too difficult for one so underprivileged as you to try and find their way in a land that has become as it were savage in your mind." Nuada stared at her in shock and anger. Was she saying that he could not carry himself as a magical being in the very land of magical beings? "That is precisely what I am saying," she replied, hearing his thoughts radiate through his pulse. "Your father meant well in taking you and your sister to a place where you would be safe from the memories and hatred of the evils that befell your family, but it has crippled you."

"I am stronger than any of our kind that has ever lived!" he shouted. The Morrighan laughed harshly, tilting her head back as she morphed back into the bird and alighted on a nearby branch.

"Your arrogance is so amusing! I think I shall give you tomorrow to be humbled before giving you anything further," she rasped. He growled, clutching the hilt so tightly now that it was painful. "When the girl wakes, she will think this was a dream. If you do not wish to have any further interferences, then I suggest you make yourself scarce when you hear or smell the presence of a human. She is well accepted by the trees and animals, so I will not remove her desire to be among them. Do not, I repeat with emphasis most pertinent to your own survival, harm anything until I return."

"Yes, my lady," he said through clenched teeth, bowing with only the respect required. The Morrighan felt the tension and anger coursing from him. She sighed. It would take much time, if it was possible, to remove this curse of rage from him. Still, the Morrighan looked forward to doing something that the fool Balor had been unable to for centuries. She flew swiftly into the forest and cawed furiously. Nuada turned back to where Titania lay. Puck sat beside her, his paw placed sadly over her chest. The prince shook his head, truly unsettled by this concern for a human. "Come, Puck, she will live."

The rabbit sighed heavily and leaned forward, touching his forehead to the girl's. He turned to Nuada and bowed once again, this time his eyes heavy with disappointment. Nuada said nothing, turning quickly to get back to the elder tree before nightfall. It was not the first time he had seen such disappointment in the eyes of another regarding his actions, and he knew it would not be the last.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oberon's eyes opened sharply at hearing the call of a male raven he had sent into Bethmoora Forest to observe the small resistance that still dwelled there.

"Nuada has returned! The crowned prince lives!" the bird cawed loudly. Oberon lifted his head from the plush, down pillow and began seething. He hated being wakened with bad news, but he hated being forced to kill someone so soon after a feast even more. As blood began to fill his extremities again, a smile crossed his dry lips. He had been looking forward to slaying the prince and princess for centuries. How perfect that at the time he would be closest to claiming the world, he would do what he had desired most in it.


	6. Who is Prince Nuada?

**Chapter 6**

Titania awoke an hour later, feeling disoriented and very dizzy. She grasped her head as she sat up and looked around. Her backpack and basket from the morning lay a few inches away from her. She turned to the other side where she saw a large rock overturned. She must have tripped over the rock and dreamt the whole thing. No, she had seen someone the day before and they were still there. She hadn't gotten a good look at the man the day before. Did he have skin so pale? Anyone who had been incarcerated at all would have pale skin. But then how could she explain the rest of the ensemble?

She had seen such detail in the Japanese costume he was wearing and she recognized the weapon he was carrying. She narrowed her eyes and climbed to her feet slowly, making sure that she would have the strength to move forward. As she stood, she felt a dull pain near her shoulder. She breathed in sharply and walked over to her pack, fishing through it for a compact. There was a large bruise on her shoulder. It had to have been real, at least part of it did. Simply falling after tripping over a stone wouldn't cause a bruise like this, would it? She shook her head and placed the pack over her shoulders again, taking the basket in the other hand.

A few moments later, Titania arrived back in the clearing where she had left the tent. The sleeping bag was untouched and the other basket was only missing the carrot. She sighed heavily and began taking the tent down. From the eldest tree, Nuada watched in curiosity. She was irritatingly persistent. He suddenly realized that she was removing the shelter that had kept him from being soaked the night before! He hated the idea of continuing to use something that was made and used by a human, but it had sufficed in giving him three hours sleep. No matter, the tree would work just as well. No, the tree was better for him. The Morrighan had a point; underground dwelling had made him too comfortable with the idea of being separated from the magical realm of the ancient races. The warriors of old would never have been so humbled by the simple elements.

"If you're still out here, I brought something to try and take care of you if I hurt you too badly," she called as she turned from side to side. Nuada growled softly. This human was insinuating that she had done damage to him. Puck glanced towards him and frowned. If Titania saw him a second time, then she would never stop trying to get a look at him. The girl sighed heavily. "I know that someone is out here. Look, just leave, please. This is where I can escape from the very thing that you're probably running from, oppression of any kind. Please just go. I love this forest and I won't let anything bad happen to it; even if it means having someone come out and remove you."

Nuada stared down at the girl with greater intrigue. Her human arrogance seemed to be filled with true concern for the wood. This was unusual, perhaps feigned, perhaps even a mark that she felt she owned the forest and this was yet another example of human usurpation. He stared down more carefully and watched her place the tent under one arm and then pick up the second basket in the same hand that held the first. She looked like a beast of burden, laden with the supplies to carry her across a mountain range. Puck peeked out from his hiding place in the tree, frowning as Titania walked past. He wanted to leap out and comfort her.

The girl stopped a few inches away from the edge of the clearing. She turned towards the elder tree as if knowing where the prince was hiding. "I know I wasn't dreaming, but I don't believe everything that happened." She rubbed her neck and shoulder with her somewhat free hand. "You gave me a nasty bruise, you know. It isn't nice to start shouting at someone and then just lay a hand on them." She waited for a few moments, disappointed that no one was answering, Maybe the whole thing had been her imagination. She shook her head. "I'll be back tomorrow. And by the way, you look like a demon, not an elf."

Nuada suppressed the urge to leap in front of her and give her a thorough lashing. Instead, he gripped the branch under his right hand with such force that the bark began to ripple beneath him and the tree shrieked in pain. Titania hesitated at hearing the branch snap, but then moved on. The morning had been wasted, and the afternoon was almost over. She sighed heavily as she walked back towards the manor. That name; it sounded too far-fetched to be fabricated. Nuada, he had said, and Silverlance as well. She wondered if the answer might lie in one of the books on this area. There were hundreds of odd names that one might assume as an alias.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So if you're here, and you're alive, then," Red thought aloud as Abe and Nuala stood in front of him. Liz stood off to the side, holding both arms to her chest and smiling happily. Abe deserved to be happy and the princess hadn't deserved to die.

"My brother may not have been reborn," Nuala interjected. "There is no need to worry about him."

"I'm not worried _about_ him, I'm worried that he might have popped up in some other region to start massing his little cronies," Red replied. "That sounds about right for him."

"Even if the prince was reborn, Red, one could assume that he had a change of heart," Abe offered. The moment immediately following Nuala being brought inside and to the others, Red had pulled out a pistol and had begun demanding where the little scheister was. The demon turned to his friend and frowned. Abe shook his head and looked away. "I know, I know, we need to have a talk."

"Yeah, well, in the meantime there are a few other things we need to think about," Liz interjected. "Like where the two of you are going to live if you want to be together."

"It will not matter, I will be happy," Nuala said sweetly. Abraham smiled and melted a little. Red rolled his eyes and turned back to his wife. "But it does trouble me that you are abandoning Thomas Manning when he will need you most. I sense it."

The group looked at one another in concern. It was not necessarily Tom's well-being that made them now anxious about Nuala's words, it was Titania.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nadia had returned that afternoon at four. Titania had retired to her room at three and asked Magnus to please make sure that no one disturbed her. The butler had tried to inquire of what had gone wrong on her excursion, but Titania had remained silent as she stalked slowly up the stairs and to her room. At six, Magnus knocked loudly on her door and informed her that her mother was waiting for her at the dinner table. Titania groaned loudly and slammed down the book she had been reading. She had gone through eight books of names from the entire eastern United Kingdom and then three books on etymology for the name Nuada. Nothing had come up in any language at all. She began to wonder if something had been jarred too badly after the scare with the intruder and then tripping over that stone, which she still couldn't remember doing.

Titania walked slowly down the staircase towards the dining room feeling depressed and exhausted. She had never had a poor visit to the forest before. Nadia rose from the table and smiled brightly at her daughter. Titania gave a weak smile in return.

"Darling! How was your day?" the woman asked sweetly. Titania fidgeted with a lock of her dark hair.

"Not good," she replied softly.

"Oh dear!" Nadia said in over emphasized sadness. Titania sighed and looked away, not wanting to ask her mother to tone it down for her own sake. The woman walked over to her and embraced her gently, almost weakly. "Well, I know just the thing to cheer you up." Wanting nothing more at the moment that to have such a thing happen, Titania looked at her mother hopefully. "Magnus, you can let him in."

"Him?" Titania said, astonished. "Him what?"

"Well you said that you wanted a cat," Nadia reasoned. Titania's face lit up with excitement. Cats had such natural magic and peace to them. All of the kittens she had been given in her girlhood had ended up missing somehow. Still, Titania wanted a cat more than anything else in the world. She turned as Magnus opened the door and let in a 600 pound, orange and black striped cat. Titania's eyes widened in horror.

"A tiger!?!" she exclaimed.

Nadia clasped her hands together excitedly as the tiger wandered into the room, looking to and fro unsure of what to do in this place. Titania fought off the urge to start shouting. Animals like this belonged in the wild. She stared in absolute horror at the rhinestone collar that was around his neck.

"I know how much you love the idea of helping the defenseless, darling," Nadia said as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "He had belonged to a singer who was going to sell him to a zoo, you wouldn't have wanted that for him now would you? All of his life he's had a nice bed and sweeties. Besides, you can take him on a harness out walking with you in the woods. He'll love being outside and he's fit to take care of himself just in case."

"In India, mom, not in England!" Titania corrected in frustration. She shook her head and decided it best to simply accept the gesture. After all, the woman had thought about her and had done so without some kind of selfish twist on wanting to make her look a certain way. She placed her arms around her mother and hugged her tightly, pushing away the awful dream from the forest and the slow afternoon that had followed. "Thanks, mom, he's beautiful."

"You're welcome, dear," Nadia replied as she took her seat at the dinner table. Titania began to walk slowly towards her own as Misses Badcrumble entered the room with the cart containing their meal. "The shoot was for Hideki-Chan fashions in Japan, darling. You would have loved some of the neo-Samurai outfits that the girls were wearing."

Titania's mind buzzed. Of course! The pale make-up, the bokun, and the shogun's uniform all pointed to the man trying to portray something Eastern, not from England at all! She turned to her mother and smiled. Nadia and her father had been history buffs together once upon a time; her father for the sake of campaigns and weaponry and her mother for the sake of ancient fashions. She wondered just how much of the history her mother had retained.

"Mom, you remember a lot about the Tokugawa dynasty and so on, right? Like the names of some of the famous Samurai and Shogun?" Titania asked casually. Nadia nodded with a wink as she put a glass of wine to her lips that Magnus had only just finished pouring. "Was there a prince or something named Nuada?"

Misses Badcrumble suddenly dropped the large plate of roast turnips in her hands. Titania and Nadia turned at the sounds of crashing vegetables and shattering glass. The old woman looked pale, stung, like she had seen a ghost. Titania stared at her for a moment as Nadia stood and ordered Magnus to help clean things up right away. Misses Badcrumble apologized once, meekly, and then hurried out of the room to fetch something else.

"Poor old thing," Nadia said with minimal sympathy. Titania nodded, not taking her eyes off of the old woman until she had disappeared back into the kitchen. The cook knew the name, Titania realized. She had seemed almost struck by lightning at hearing it spoken aloud. She smirked and took a seat at the table, restraining her excitement as she forged a plan on how to ask her for details without giving her a heart attack. Magnus brought back the rest of the meal, explaining to Nadia that the old woman had strained her wrist that afternoon. Nadia offered to take the woman to the hospital immediately, but Magnus assured the madam that the cook was simply in need of rest. Titania smiled and took another deep breath as she began to eat quickly. Nadia watched her and informed her repeatedly, although unnecessarily, that it wouldn't be a good idea to feed the tiger from the table. Titania finished in moments, not even noticing the tiger sitting behind her chair. As she scooted back from the table, however, the thick cat made itself known with a grunt. Titania looked back and frowned.

"Well, what are you going to name him?" Nadia asked as she stood from the table and walked towards them. "I was thinking something regal like Tim or Ted, but he is yours."

Titania winced at the two names, neither were fitting for a tiger. She thought for a moment. "Ravi," she replied. Nadia stared at her daughter with confusion and disgust, as if the name had been some foreign entrée. Titania looked back at her mother, "Like the sun god from Hindu myth, or Ravi Shankar the famous sitar virtuoso."

"It's an interesting name, Nadia commented as she walked away from the two with a yawn. "Very exotic. I hope you sleep well. Let Magnus put him up for the night and we'll get him a proper room in the morning."

"He can sleep with me," Titania offered without thinking. As her mother turned and gave her a cautious glance, the girl suddenly realized that she had offered to let a tiger sleep in the room with her. She drew in a resolute breath and smiled back at the woman. "If he's been hand-raised then he should be fine for one night."

"If you say so," Nadia said dismissively. She left the room with a short 'good night' and headed silently for her bed.

Titania glanced down at the tiger. She stood and cleared her throat. "Magnus," she said. The butler turned and nodded as he finished taking the dishes from the table. "Would you keep him here until I get back? I'm going to check on Misses Badcrumble."

"A good idea," the butler replied. He looked at the tiger uneasily. "Well, at least part of it is."

Titania said nothing as she darted away from the tiger and headed towards the kitchen. She walked into the stone womb, trying to go over and over what she could say to gently asked the questions that had been buzzing furiously through her mind all day. Misses Badcrumble was hard at work, kneading dough for the next day. Titania walked up silently and watched for a moment. She moved to the woman's side cautiously, watching to make sure that she was not in some kind of distress. Fortunately, she seemed only focused for the time being. Titania told herself that the best and only way to ask Misses Badcrumble anything was to ask it the way the old woman would have, directly.

"Who is Prince Nuada?" she said flatly. The old woman dropped the dough she was holding. She turned to the girl, trembling and pale once again. Titania took a step back. She had never seen the old woman like this before. She seemed terrified.

"Who told you that name?" Misses Badcrumble asked in a hoarse whisper. Titania hesitated, staring into the intensity of the woman's eyes with concern.

"He did; I think I met him this afternoon," she stammered. Misses Badcrumble shook her head furiously.

"You didn't lassie, or you'd be dead," the cook said solemnly. Titania felt her chest grow tight and breath leave her. The old woman gently took the girl's hand and stared deeply into her eyes. "You saw something, lass, a dream maybe that had a spirit that spoke his name. He is a legend, lassie, a story much older than this house."

"What's so dangerous about him, then? Why would I be dead?" Titania asked in confusion.

"He was the crowned prince of Elfland, one of the other regions of this world, so it is said. He was the only son of King Balor and the heir to the throne. There are many stories of the Nightlands and the other regions, dearie. Prince Nuada was a great warrior, greatest of the young elves in the king's army." The old woman watched the girl's expression, trying to make sure that her words would make the very impression she was giving, fear. "He made it his life's work to destroy humans, to kill any human that crossed his path."

Titania's blood began to slow and grow very cold at remembering his words. He had held the sword to her throat and threatened to remove her humanity. He had wanted to kill her. What had stopped him? It must have been a dream if this was the story behind the name. She shook her head and took a step back. "But I thought elves were guardians of the forests in legends and that they were often angry or piteous of humans," she argued. Misses Badcrumble shook her head. "Why would an elf want to slaughter humans?"

"The reason's neither here nor there, lassie," she replied. "If a spirit or what have you is in the forest speaking that name, then there's trouble brewing double what it would with any imp or boggart. Stay away from that forest for now, dearie. Prince Nuada's name is nothing but a death sentence for humans, especially one as curious as you."

Titania frowned and tried to force an amused smile across her face. "It's just a story, Misses Badcrumble, elves and so on aren't real," she laughed. The cook stared at her firmly. The girl's faux expression fell. "Aren't they?"

"Your father's work should have taught you better than that, Tania," the old woman said patting the girl's arm. "Just promise me, promise the old woman what frets over every moment you spend away from this house, that you'll be careful until the next full moon."

Titania felt more confused than ever, and intrigued as well. Rather than ask the significance of the full moon, she decided it best to make the promise and say goodnight. After all, she had a tiger to wrestle into bed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The forest was still and quiet. The birds had all gone off to sleep quickly while the night predators and owls came out to play. The elder tree sighed and fell into a trance as the moon glistened brightly over head. A strong, cold breeze cut through the forest, chilling all creatures without fur. At the moment, only one such creature sat on the forest floor. The tree had proved too uncomfortable for the prince to sit in for more than a few hours. When the wind had begun to gnaw through the human garb, he found himself wishing that the girl had left the small shelter. He growled and cursed at thinking such a thing. What he wouldn't give to have a chance to give the girl a thorough dressing down. He drew his knees to his chest and folded his arms around them, keeping necessary heat nearest his heart as he laid his head against his knees. Puck, ruffled his fur at feeling only a slight chill. He hopped over to the elf and sniffed carefully.

"Sire?" he asked. Nuada lifted his head and looked into the creature's face with irritation. The rabbit moved an inch closer. "Could I do something to make you more comfortable?"

"No," the prince replied coldly. The pwca frowned and scratched his furry chin. He thought for a moment about what would make the prince less unhappy without being obvious. "What was she thinking wandering in here? Have humans become so accustomed to their own gall that they have forgotten entirely about the truce? The forests are ours, Puck, not theirs."

"In all fairness, sire, she has visited more regularly than you and has enjoyed herself," the pwca replied. The prince's eyes flashed with anger at the rabbit. Puck shook his head and turned to the side. There was really nothing else that could be done for now, the mood had been set by the earlier events. At least the tree had obeyed the prince's command to catch the human he had smelled. The obedience of the magical creatures would be scarce enough for him. Puck scooted himself next to the prince and curled up, tucking his head into his paws once again. "Goodnight, your highness," the rabbit yawned.

The prince remained silent and shuddered against the cold. He had forgotten about the elements like wind and rain without presence of shelter. He was feeling more helpless and distant by the day. The Morrighan had been right. He sighed heavily and finally allowed a tear to roll down both cheeks at once. It would be the only opportunity he would have to display such emotions for the next few days if all went according to the plan he was making. In a few short hours, he would be well on his way to taking command of Elfland in his father's place. Then he would finally have the world set to right; humans contained in their filthy cities while the elves reclaimed the clean earth and resurrected the forests.


	7. Nuala's Marriage The Morrighan's Tasks

**Chapter 7**

That night, Abraham found it particularly difficult to sleep. The group had decided to wait until morning to tell Manning or anyone else about Nuala's presence in case something might be said about sending her to the European team. The princess had been sent to bed in Abe's bedroom, while the semi-man tried his best to sleep in the library. He tried everything to relax from boring passages by Socrates to pastoral music, but nothing helped. His mind was feverishly anticipating the next moment he would get to spend with Nuala. He couldn't quite comprehend everything about her or how she had come to be back with them again, yet he was sure that this was fate and it was the next step into his happy future. He sighed and leaned back in one of the reclining chairs. Perhaps being back in the water might ease his mind. He tried to think of the peaceful rippling of the water, the cool blue hues, the softness it gave him to be immersed as he neared the tank. He gasped as he stood in front of the clear glass and came face to face with Nuala. She smiled at him and pushed herself to the surface. Abe hurried to the rim of the tank hidden behind the rightmost wall and waited for her to swim over to him.

"Princess," he began in nearly a whisper. "What are you doing in here? You'll catch a chill."

"I've missed the streams from my childhood," she said with a reminiscent smile. She pulled herself out of the water, meeting his face with her own. "I want to see your world, Abraham. To know your ways and thoughts." She reached up and softly placed a hand alongside his face. He placed his own over hers and sighed.

"But, what about your own people?" he asked, almost fearing to hear that she would desire to have half her time on land with the elves and only half with him. It all seemed too wonderful to be true; Nuala was a part of him that he never wanted to relinquish. She placed the other hand on his face, drawing him close to the surface of the water. "Princess . . . "

"Please, Abraham," she said softly as she moved close to his ear. "Call me by my name. I want to hear you say it."

He trembled ever so slightly at her voice. She seemed so fragile and soft that he feared breaking her if he but breathed too loudly. He looked deeply into the elf-maid's eyes and sighed. The thought of her name came as naturally as his love of the water itself. "Nuala," he whispered. The elf reached forward and gently pressed her lips against his, hovering for a moment before releasing him. She moved backwards and smiled at him, gesturing for him to join her.

The princess had decided that her rebirth was a second chance at a life with one like herself, a life of fulfillment on many levels. The elves prided themselves on wisdom and compassion. These were virtues Abraham had learned to both embody and was still in the process of perfecting. The elf turned away and dove beneath the surface once again, savouring the sensation of the water surrounding her. Abraham felt overwhelmed. He had tried so hard since meeting her to be at his best and most reserved, but it was impossible now. He loved her. He had lost her. He was not going to allow the universe to try and teach him once again how wonderful being with her was by taking her away any time soon. She was here now and this was the time to act. He dove into the water, swimming to meet the princess head on. She smiled and turned, parting the waters in front of her with arms outstretched. Abe smiled and marveled at how naturally she was moving in the clear water. She seemed like a fairytale nymph, playing effortlessly in the oceans of ancient days. He dove after her, realizing the very reason that he himself had lost his past; it was meant to gain a future with the princess.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun rose in the forest, warming the soil and leaves as the day began to unfold. Puck rose to his feet and stretched his back with a yawn. He shook himself and blinked his eyes twice, adjusting quickly to the morning light. He turned and looked back at the prince who still sat curled up at the base of the tree. He frowned and hopped closer to him, placing a paw gently on the side of his leg.

"Sire?" he asked cautiously. The prince raised his head a little, staring down at the pwca with exhaustion making itself visible in redness matching the darkness under his amber eyes. Puck frowned. "Oh, sire, you really should eat something and try to rest. You're beginning to look ill."

"It will not be long before I am among my kindred, Puck," he said with a deep breath. He felt his chest growing heavy with unwanted sadness and desperation that had been allowed full entrance with each moment the elf went hungry and tired. He closed his eyes, forcing away the memories that were trying to flood his weakened state; the tragedies from childhood, the betrayal in his youth, and the necessary atrocities of late. He wanted more than anything to shake himself loose of this nightmare and find that he was back in the dimly lit room beneath the troll market and to the side of the subway which he had called home for many years of his exile. He missed the bed, the occasional warmth, and even the sounds of the noisy human machinery that whirred past every day. How had he come to this? He was the crowned prince of Elfland, the warrior Silverlance, the heir to the throne of the entire magical realm and he had been reduced to a pitiful mess huddling against the base of a hidden forest's elder tree. He raised his glance upward and prayed silently that the Morrighan would come soon.

"You called?" a dry voice above him said. He jumped and turned, looking up into the branches for the mynah that was surely sitting and speaking to him. Sure enough, the mynah form of the Morrighan sat perfectly still, watching her nephew with amusement. She laughed, cawing loudly, as she dove out of the tree and landed in front of him, changing quickly back to a more human form. She smiled with a hint of sympathy in her eyes as she walked towards him.

Feeling subdued and ready to do whatever was necessary to get back to his purpose of purging the earth for his kind, Nuada got to his hands and knees and bowed fully before the woman. "Please, Lady Morrighan, show me the way to our people. I cannot bear to be without my family any longer. I grow weary, I will die if I do not return."

"Indeed," the sorceress mused. She smiled and reached down, lifting her nephew to standing. He trembled slightly at being for so long without rest and nourishment. The woman took notice of this and decided that he was right in that he was in some danger for the time being. He breathed heavily and stepped backwards, standing as proudly as possible. "Are you ready to do what I ask?"

"I am," he said as firmly as possible with his voice beginning to quake.

"Very good," she said excitedly. "I knew you would see reason after a day to think it through. Now, there is only one way into the Faerie Ring where the magical court still thrives. It is held on a map which is read by a compass which can only be deciphered under the light of an eclipse."

Nuada found it hopeful that the Morrighan had given such specific instructions. Of course, an eclipse was only weeks away, two to be exact. The universe had a way of arranging its eclipses and phases in sync with what was needed by the peoples of the Nightlands. He nodded resolutely at the woman and clasped his hand over the bokun, drawing strength from the gesture. "Where will I find this map, my lady?" he asked.

"Oh, I hardly expect you to find it on your own," she replied with a wink. He stared back at her in confusion. "Rarely, except in cases of redeeming one's true love from a spell, does the realm require one to go about a task alone; it is foolish. The map lies in the Riddle Glen."

"Where?" the prince asked, feeling a twinge of anger rising out of nowhere. Fear met it as he realized he was losing control of his emotions.

The Morrighan smiled even more brightly. "It is a place spoken of in books, Nuada. It will be well known by your companion," she explained. The prince straightened, waiting for the Morrighan to reveal the name of his companion. No doubt it would be Puck or one of the other forest creatures that often aided the magical beings in their endeavors in the world of man. "The girl will be returning to the forest soon. When she does, I am sure that she will be more than happy to help you find the glen and assist you in retrieving the map."

Nuada's pale skin burned with anger. He would have been fire red from head to foot had it not been for his natural markings. He glared hatefully at the Morrighan.

"How can you expect me to accept the presence of a human . . . a young human . . . a female?! This is ridiculous! She will be nothing more than a fragile nuisance as well as a mindless destroyer if allowed near magic! How dare you imply that you would grant a human child, a girl child, any of our sacred knowledge or reveal to it our hidden realms!" he ranted. The Morrighan's hair stood on end as she gazed back at the prince. Nuada could see anger rising within her that was far better kept and executed than his own. "I refuse! Send another with me instead."

"Are you refusing _and_ giving me an order?" she asked slyly. The elf stared back with steely determination masking his feelings of helplessness. "Well?"

"I refuse, yes," he replied. The Morrighan raised a brow, waiting for the second answer. "And I do demand that you give me another option. As prince of this realm I command you to . . ."

"Oh dear," the Morrighan laughed, beginning to walk past the indignant royal. "I'm afraid one night was only enough to make you miserable, but not enough to extract the changes that will be needed before you can return to the throne. Perhaps another night will do the trick."

"Do not leave me again, Morrighan!" Nuada shouted. He reached out and harshly took his aunt by the arm and held her tightly. The Morrighan froze and glared into nothing. Her eyes glowed black as her skin began to glow white with heat. Nuada withdrew his hand, shouting in surprise and pain as the Morrighan turned and cast her burning gaze at him. "I will not survive without our kind!"

"That is clear, prince," she said in a low growl. "You will not survive without our kind, but nor will you survive among them until you begin to understand the difference between an order for completion of a task and a request. You must learn respect for the sacred guardians of the old ways even as royalty. You _**will**_ learn to obey and have respect."

The elf began trembling all the greater at realizing he had sealed the day against finding a way into his home. He was set back yet again from his quest and was growing more faint by the hour. He stepped back, unable to hold back the beginnings of tears any longer. Fortunately, the few that he allowed to fall coupled with his labored breathing, seemed to offer some relief and prevent a full blown fit of weeping. The Morrighan turned away and spread her arms. Nuada sensed that he had but one opportunity to undo this. He fell to his knees behind her and took hold of the hem of her feathered cloak.

"Forgive me, my lady," he said with his voice beginning to break. The Morrighan remained motionless. "I am at the end of my wits and spirit. I have not eaten or slept well since returning to life. Please, I implore you, take me with you and let me be with the sisterhood until I recover."

The Morrighan's eyes flashed with a greater intensity as she forced him backwards and onto the ground. He stared up at her in frustration and sadness. She stood over him as her cloak began to take the shape of wings.

"You were welcomed only once into our midst, boy," she hissed. "It was the only time you will ever be welcomed among the sisterhood. The Celts' scribes tell tales less terrible of betrayal and murder than what happened following. The day I allow you back into my home is the day that you take a human to your side for all eternity!" With that, the Morrighan lowered herself to the ground and then took flight, darting between the trees as she disappeared from the prince's view.

Nuada remained lying on his back, propped awkwardly on his elbows as he watched the last chance he had for comfort slip into the distance. He was overwhelmed now, unable to keep his senses and emotions under the meticulous discipline he had so vigilantly practiced in exile. Tears flooded his eyes and began forming raging waterfalls down the sides of the prince's pale visage which was now ablaze with despair. He tilted his head back as he began to sob loudly. Puck heard this, having kept a short distance while the Morrighan had spoken with his master. He quickly hopped to the prince and lowered his head, trying to catch the royal's attention as a distraction.

"Sire, please," the rabbit said urgently. "You must stop this carrying on at once! Do you have any idea what your subjects will think?" he said glancing back at the other forest animals. The creatures seemed to be questioning the very existence of this creature that had invaded their forest and caused more of a stir than the nearby humans. Puck frowned, placing both paws on the prince's leg as he turned away, facing down as the sobbing continued. "Highness, please stop this nonsense! I will find you food and shelter; you needn't fret so terribly." The prince continued sobbing loudly and now held both hands over his face, trying to physically combat this outburst. Puck began to look irritated. "Really, sire, what would your sister say?"

"Nualaaaaaaa!" the prince wailed and began weeping all the harder. He leaned back against the oak, clutching his hands over his eyes as he cried. Puck sighed heavily, realizing that the prince was in true distress. It was not good for an elf to mourn so loudly or cry for very long. Their bodies could not handle emotions the way that a human's did; weeping would cause him to fade in moments if he didn't get some outside help. The rabbit glanced once more at the prince and then towards the mansion. Titania would surely distract him long enough for Puck to accomplish something if she visited as the Morrighan had predicted. She might even be able talk with him while he was too weakened to do her harm. The Morrighan would look favourably on the elf if he allowed a human to speak with him even if only for a moment.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania had not slept in the world of dreams, finding all sorts of ideas buzzing around and around as she had unconsciously recalled the events of the day. The prince had attacked her, yes, but he did not simply walk towards her with sword unsheathed ready to deal a deathblow. He had spoken to her first, he had demanded to know her name. No villain in the real world would speak to a person before killing them. If Nuada was as efficient as Misses Badcrumble had made him out to be, then he would not have spoken to her at all. She found herself drawn back to the memory of the stark white man in the imperial Japanese attire. He hadn't been ugly or even that intimidating, but he had seemed to carry a beauty that was frightening.

She frowned and shook her head. She was feeling as light and silly as a child again at thinking of the handsome elf prince. It was the lack of sleep, it must have been. She had brought Ravi into the room with her that night, but had watched him carefully, allowing him to lounge where he pleased without staying near him. She thought repeatedly about how she was going to live with a tiger from this point on whether he had his own room or not. In the morning, Magnus had come into the room and promptly took the cat out with a leash attached to the collar. Titania felt true pity for the creature. It was cruel to use the neck to drag the animal around.

The butler informed her, as he pulled the uncertain tiger from the room, that her mother was off in London for the day once again for an emergency meeting of her chapter of the Fashions Against Terminal Illness. Titania found this more of a relief than an inconvenience. She had wanted to go out into the forest again without either her mother or Misses Badcrumble keeping an eye on her. To her dismay, the old cook had forced her to eat breakfast in the kitchen that morning and had given her strict instructions to not take anything into the forest that day. Titania had agreed, waiting until the cook's back was turned to snatch a slice of bread for Lewis and head quickly out of the room. She was so filled with fear and excitement burning uncontrollably that she was at a loss as to what to do next.

She breathed deeply, calming her mind and thinking about the order that she should have in trying to discover whether or not a fairytale had come to life in the forest. First, she should gather up a few things to take with her including a few small books about the magical realms in case she needed advice. She would need to dress appropriately, manners and appearance on the part of mortals were most important in fantasy stories. She reminded herself of the etiquette classes she had taken as a child as she pulled on her school uniform.

The dark colours were not typical of what would be considered beautiful by the creatures in her stories, but at least she would look like she was being respectful. She nearly kicked herself, remembering that she had said to the prince that he had looked like a demon! She calmed herself by repeating that there was no way to know whether or not any of this was real, yet. She prayed it was. Seeing the paranormal beings in her father's work had made it very easy to believe in magic, though she hadn't seen any of the beautiful faeries and elves that were found in the magic she desired to be as real as Red and the others.

The last thing to do was head into the forest and be as quiet as possible. It was usually unawares that humans came across the magical races. She checked the contents of her backpack once more; a first aid kit, four small books on fairytales and observations of the magical realm (including a picture book with the different magical races from films), the book from her father's study, the slice of bread wrapped in a handkerchief for Lewis, and a bottle of water. Titania had always found it best to bring water with her anywhere she went. When she was satisfied that she had everything she needed and that she could remain calm enough to have a word with a race of beings that she had dreamed of since her childhood, she headed down the stairs and back towards the front door. She could hear Magnus talking loudly to someone over the phone about furniture for Ravi's new room. She sighed and walked out the door and onto the grounds. She felt excitement tingling in every nerve. Why hadn't she thought about this the day before? She had been positively terrified at being held captive by a tree, but if the creature was an elf then the trees would do his bidding. She smiled at thinking of how wonderful it would be if these races would band together with environmentalists and do something to heal the planet. Perhaps she might be able to get in a word with the prince about that. _You're not even sure he is a prince_, _an elf, or even real_, her subconscious said loudly. _For all you know, that was a dream that was some byproduct of jet lag_. She breathed deeply, trying once again to contain the excitement she had felt when hearing Misses Badcrumble speak about the elves, faeries, and other creatures as though they were real again. She hadn't really done this in some time, not with such detail.

The forest was alive again with the sounds of birds and other creatures scurrying about their daily routines. Titania watched the badgers and squirrels scamper past her as they sniffed for food and a place to hide it. She found herself walking so quickly that she was sure she was flying past the trees as she neared the clearing where she had met the man. Lewis was nowhere in sight and must have still been at his warren sleeping. She felt her knees beginning to tremble as she drew closer to the oldest grouping of trees in the forest. Her heart began to beat even louder as she heard a strange sound. It sounded like a person crying inconsolably. She forgot for the moment about wanting to see the magical creatures as her natural compassion took hold. She raced in the direction of the crying and began scanning the area closely for any signs of someone being injured.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The prince continued to weep madly as Puck tried to say something anything to give him strength, comfort, or even anger. He had tried to use the prince's pride, desire for power over the realm, love of the earth and his family, and even his personal dignity to convince him to stop crying and follow him back to his warren. At least at the warren, the pwca could offer him a root or water. He would fade soon if he did not cease this pitiful display. The pwca felt desperation of his own at thinking the royal would disappear, leaving Oberon uncontested. In his own mind, Puck had hoped that in the next few days Nuada would indeed get back to his own people and send Oberon back to where he belonged.

"Sire, really, this is insanity," the pwca said firmly. He sat back on his haunches and placed his paws on his hips. "Do you want to die? Is that it?"

"Hello?" a familiar voice called from a short distance away. Puck dropped to all fours and turned in its direction. He recognized Titania's voice and immediately hopped away from the sulking prince to greet her. She didn't need to be around while all of this was working itself out. Surely the Morrighan would reappear at any moment to prevent her nephew's death. He leapt in front of the girl just as she was about to reach the elder tree. Titania stopped and stared down at the rabbit. "Lewis!"

"Titania, it's awful, you should go home right away. I know this all seems strange and that you must be curious, but you must do as I say," the pwca instructed. The girl stepped backwards in shock. If her friend was talking to her the way he had done the morning before then she hadn't been dreaming at all. She stared at him in disbelief, feeling breath and strength leave her. "Please go home, Titania, something terrible has happened here and I do not believe it would be safe for you until it has ended."

"Who is crying?" she asked softly as she found her voice. Puck frowned and glanced to the side. Her mind raced at thinking about the possibility of it being the prince. She looked past the rabbit and began to move forward, shaking. Puck hopped after her, continuing to plead with her to go back. Titania ignored the rabbit's voice and the bizarre fact that he was speaking to her as she concentrated on getting to the wounded soul still mourning. She walked over to the elder tree, the largest tree in the forest and suddenly noticed the prince sitting against it, crying hopelessly. A terrible pain filled her chest at the sight and sound of him. It was real. Not only was it real, but something _had_ gone wrong. Whether Lewis felt it was safe or not, she had to do something. "Your highness?" she said with her voice quivering. He turned to her for a moment, tears streaming from his darkened eyes. She felt a stab in her heart at the sight of this. Puck stood in front of her. "What's wrong?"

The prince turned away, angry that he hadn't the strength to stand and demand for her to leave or dispatch her. Puck sighed and stood, transforming into his more human form. Titania jumped backwards a step as he shook himself.

"The prince finds himself in need of food and shelter and without the strength or will to find them," the rabbit said sadly.

"Where are the other elves? What about the faeries and the other creatures?" she asked, thinking it the only sensible thing to ask.

"They are unsure of him, I'm afraid. He's been living away from this place for quite some time, you see," he explained. The weeping grew louder for a moment at the mention of the prince's distance from his home. Puck cringed and stared back at the girl. "Please go home, Titania, I can take care of this."

"But he's suffering," she said moving past the rabbit. The pwca wanted more than anything to have the girl frightened into running back home at once, but now believed that the prince might actually be too weak to do any harm to the girl. He watched cautiously, making sure that the elf's hand did not go near his weapon. Titania walked over to the royal carefully, experiencing a rush of adrenaline she had experienced when attending her first dinner party around important dignitaries. Hopefully, she would retain the same graceful composure around the prince that she had around the diplomats. She knelt a few feet away from him and slipped her backpack off her shoulders. She had never seen any creature look so destitute in their eyes alone. He seemed to think that he was without any hope or friends at all. She reached into the backpack and gently withdrew the handkerchief. Puck's ears pricked at the sight and the scent that suddenly met him. It was debatable that the prince would accept the gesture, but if Titania left it then he was sure he could convince the elf to eat it and prevent him from dying. "Here, take it. It's just bread, but it's something."

Instinct to survive had been powerful in the young royal, more so than in the others of his kind who had accepted the idea of their demise quickly. It was this natural drive to continue that told him to take the bundle without question. Humans might have been treacherous, but their females had a maternal kindness that often bypassed their destructive natures. As he pulled it back, he felt an even greater wave of hunger take him. In a flash, he had removed the handkerchief and had begun to eat the bread. Titania smiled with relief and took the bottle of water, holding it out for him. He finished the bread in a few moments, abandoning the grace that was usually practiced at a meal in the name of life. Again, instinct drove his limbs to accept the bottle and drink deeply from it.

He breathed heavily as the bread and water began to fill the pangs that had gnawed at him for well over a day. The need to mourn was dissipating and strength was returning. Puck noticed the light returning to the prince's eyes. He raced over to Titania and took her by the wrist. The girl pulled her wrist away and continued to watch the elf in concern and fascination. The prince took only a moment more to gather his senses before drawing the bokun. He stood quickly and raised the blade, ready to destroy one of the creatures responsible for this suffering and having momentarily ignored the fact that this creature had also tried to ease said suffering. Puck froze in horror as Titania did the same. The prince's grip on the blade faltered and he leaned back, dropping the sword in the process. With food and water in his body, such as it was, he now found himself more exhausted than ever. Titania stood instantly, moving to his side and helping him lean against the oak.

"Go home, Titania! He'll kill you!" Puck managed to shout. The prince panted heavily and forced his eyes to remain open as he faced the girl. "Quickly, child, before he . . ."

"You're not going to hurt me, are you?" she asked the prince calmly.

"I cannot wield my sword," he whispered. "My strength . . . I can barely see."

Titania gently placed a hand on his shoulder and grasped it tightly. "I know who you are," she said firmly. He looked into the girl's eyes in confusion. He had told the girl who he was, of course she knew. "You are Prince Nuada Silverlance, the heir to the throne of the elves, or at least, that's what someone told me. I think I can help you."

"You are but an empty-hearted human," the prince scoffed with a groan. He leaned forward as a wave of exhaustion ebbed over him once again. "I must lie down."

"Come with me, I've got a place where you can stay," she said quickly. She stood closer to him and tried to allow him to put some of his weight on her. The prince refused and began to meekly follow her movement.

"But Titania, he cannot stay with you! He will not be this docile when he wakes! He needs to be among his own kind or in the forest, not in the mansion," Puck said urgently. "Where will you hide him from your family?!"

"I'm not taking him home," she said over her shoulder. She turned back to the prince and smiled. "I have a different idea."

It was quite a task getting up into the tree-house with Puck following and protesting. Neither the prince nor the girl were at their best, but Titania (the weaker even at her best of the two) seemed to be the more alert and gave the prince instructions to climb the thin staircase into the dwelling carefully. The tree-house was the size of a very small human's home in the city. For the forest, it had been quite a sight to behold all of these years and had been a second home for Titania. There was a base level with a corner that served as a library, a living area, and even a table with chairs and a pantry.

There was also a ladder indoors leading to a second level that served as an enormous bedroom with a window in the ceiling. The window had shudders that could be shut during times of inclimate weather and so on, but Titania often kept it open to allow in starlight as she slept. She spent a better portion of her time here, even when in school. There was no place like the forest for studying. Once inside, Titania showed the elf to the indoor ladder and told him that this was the last bit of climbing left to do. Gathering the rest of his strength, Nuada followed the girl up the second ladder and into the room on the second floor. The first, and really only, thing that the prince noticed was the large bed. The floor was sturdy enough to hold quite a bit of weight and the idea of how a human had built such a structure in a very old tree without harming the tree didn't even cross his mind.

His body gave firm instructions to lie down and sleep immediately. The prince managed to stave off the obedience until reaching the edge of the bed and curling up on the mattress. Titania watched him and contemplated situating him more comfortably under the bed clothes. Puck hopped up the final rung of the ladder and stared at the sleeping royal. When his head had touched the pillow, the prince had been rendered entirely unconscious. He breathed peacefully, lying on his back with his darkened eyes closed to the world.

"You really shouldn't have shown him this," Puck said sadly. Titania turned to him in shock. The pwca sighed, lowering himself to the ground and taking rabbit form again. "I know we've never spoken as clearly as we are now, my girl, but believe me when I say that I know the prince's nature. He has no tolerance for humans of any kind. The compassion you've shown him will be easily forgotten."

"Why? What's made him so hateful?" Titania said. She walked over to a small and shallow cabinet laid into the wall and took out a large quilt. "I've always thought that elves didn't normally like humans and that they kidnapped human babies to raise them as their own. I've never heard of any of them being ruthless killers."

"Nor should you have," the rabbit replied. Titania took the quilt and unfolded it as she walked over to the bed. The rabbit hopped slowly beside her, watching her every movement with sincere interest. She laid the quilt over the sleeping elf and gently laid her hand on his chest. Puck frowned and immediately leapt onto the prince's chest, forcing the girl's hand away with his nose. "Please don't touch him, he'll be angry enough. I suppose it is only right that you know what I know of the prince since the Morrighan had wanted you to be the one to help him return to his own."

"Me?!" Titania said in surprise.

"Yes," Puck said with a sigh. He hopped off the bed and took a seat in the corner. A soft rumble of thunder shook the atmosphere in the distance. Titania turned towards the nearest window. The sun had been burning brightly since morning, but it had seemed to rain nearly every afternoon for the past few days according to the maps she had seen before returning home. Perhaps the forest was trying to cleanse itself. The rabbit watched the girl take a seat on the floor beside the bed, not wanting to leave the elf alone. "The prince was one of two children born to King Balor and Queen Aine in the third age of the earth. Prince Nuada and his twin sister Princess Nuala were only the sixth generation of elves born on earth. They were born at a most uncertain time, for it was then that man truly began to spread himself out in the earth. At the time Nuada was an infant, the Celts roamed Europe and had heard only whispers of the threat of Greece and Rome. It might have been better for everyone if a plague had taken out the empire and the elves had never been forced to defend the Briton lands or the Black lands to the east. Still, the war was not the true reason that Nuada became what he is, it is only the catalyst behind the fire of hatred that burns within him."

"What is the real reason, then?" she asked. The rabbit scratched his head, wishing that the girl would scoot closer to him and leave the prince to sleep in peace. "Was his true love murdered, or his family destroyed, or something else?"

Puck lowered his voice as rain began to gently strike the roof of the house. "When he was an infant, the fairy king called Oberon, one of Balor's trusted advisers, sought to claim the throne for himself. To do so, he would have to destroy the royal family. When he had learned of Nuada's birth, he concocted a potion, a spell, that would place a shard of grief in the prince's heart. The shard would tear and cut at the prince until his heart finally broke. When an elf's heart breaks, they become monstrous, like goblins, they say. If I may say so, Nuada was well on his way before he was reborn just the other day. I heard terrible things about his actions in the Americas."

Titania stared at the rabbit in slight disbelief. The pwca had no reason to lie to her, of course, but she found it hard to believe that this beautiful being could do so much damage without being overcome with guilt.

"At any rate, the potion was administered to him while he was sleeping as a baby. The spell even marred his natural markings. He was never meant to have such dark eyes, you know. The king and queen consulted with her sisters to discover what had happened to their son. When the sisterhood confirmed that the prince had been enchanted, they were mortified. Balor had even thought of killing the child so that no harm could come to he and his wife."

Titania's chest ached at the thought of a parent willing to kill their own child. It was disgusting. Puck frowned and shook his head.

"Queen Aine decided, instead, to keep her son from negativity of any kind. She protected him and watched over him night and day to shelter him from sadness or anger. In the meantime, Balor was forced to fight against a rebellion headed by Oberon himself. After the failed attempt, Oberon was sent to the Black Forest as punishment, and was never to return. The queen managed to keep her son free of any talk of the rebellion or war of any kind. One day, while playing out on the moor with the boy, a troop of humans came and attacked. They desired the queen, you see, knowing what she was. Men have forgotten about elves now. At any rate, Aine told Nuada to run home to his father, which the prince did immediately. He had never disobeyed his mother. When the king heard this, he gathered ten troops to see about the incident. They brought back the queen's lifeless form and gave her a proper burial. Nuada felt betrayed by his father, wounded by man, and responsible for his mother's death. He made a vow that day to never allow a human to harm any of his kind ever again, to do whatever was necessary to make himself the most powerful weapon on earth against humanity."

Titania turned her head and stared back at the prince. His chest eased up and down slowly with each breath. He seemed so still and harmless. This was not the most powerful weapon on earth against humanity, it was just an elf. She furrowed her brow and took out the book she had taken from her father's study. She opened the cover, realizing that she really didn't know that much about elves. She knew what she had read in fairytales, seeing that there were good and bad creatures of every race. But the elves in all the fairy stories neither looked nor lived like this one.

He _did _look like some sort of demon, no, a dark angel. She would simply have to do more research on the matter as he regained his strength. A louder crash of thunder shook the tree-house as rain began falling in sheets against the forest. She sighed and felt exhaustion of her own growing. There was so much to do for the next few days and then school would be starting again. She looked longingly at the bed. There wasn't a tiger here to watch, only an apparently blood-thirsty elf, if she were to believe her friend. Nuada did not look dangerous right now. He had barely looked that fierce when she had first seen him. She smiled and climbed onto the other side of the bed, curling up against the prince. Puck stood on his hind legs and squeaked in protest.

Titania ignored him and laid her head against the prince's chest at his left arm. There was nothing to keep him warm, after all, and he would need that while he recovered from starvation. She sighed heavily and allowed her mind to drift. There would be time to sift and compute everything later. For now, she was satisfied in knowing that the magical creatures were real and in her refusal of believing that the prince would harm her. She looked up at his face once more, marveling at the scar and his ears. She would take a short nap and be on her way before he noticed her. Puck continued whimpering and protesting as the girl drifted off. He leapt onto the foot of the bed and leaned down. It dawned on him that he was going to end up being the referee and the voice of reason no matter what.


	8. Reasons and Schemes

**Chapter 8**

Oberon had called immediately for the gathering of his dark court in his palace beneath Newgrange. After the Bethmoora clan had left the ancient lands, it had been Oberon's daily work to make himself a brutish king in Balor's stead. Balor may have heard of this, but it didn't draw the old elf back to fight him off. The old faerie had held a grand feast in honour of Balor's being killed, rejoicing the absence of the great king as he plotted on how best to destroy Nuada. The potion was, no doubt, at work, but not working fast enough for the king. The feast was interrupted on the second day with the joyous announcement that Nuada and Nuala had been killed as well. Oberon had not danced or eaten so well before sleeping so well in centuries. How he had laughed at the news that the prince had killed his father. He had sung at the news that the princess had killed herself and her brother all at once. It was marvelous how well the potion had worked in the end. Nuada was as easily manipulated as a human child.

On the morning the king received news that the prince had returned, the old faerie had immediately ordered that the raven who delivered the message be shot dead and brought back to him. He had then called the council together in an effort to thwart any possible attempt by the prince to reclaim the throne. Nuada was stronger than any elf that had ever lived and, because of the gift of his aunt The Morrighan, had an even greater strength in surviving. While the other elves would surely accept destruction in the name of peace, Nuada would take up the sword to defend the realm. It nauseated him. Valor was not something Oberon held in esteem at all.

The council consisted of Oberon, Grindel the lord of the trolls, Booka the lord of the ghouls, and three brothers; Seth the lord of the hounds, Jareth the lord of the goblins, and Gilbreth the lord of the ogres. Aradia, the leader of the faerie guard loyal to Oberon from the beginning, was also present. The council members had each brought with them a few of their own servants and courtiers. Seth had brought five enormous hounds from the Nightlands as well. Oberon looked at the array of dark beings and their servants as he entered the council chamber. He frowned as he took a seat on his throne. The throne was made of the bones of yearlings and crowned with the antlers of ancient stags. It was a symbol of Oberon's majesty throughout the ages as it were.

"I have most disturbing news for you, my faithful council," Oberon announced theatrically. The group stayed still in dead silence as the king raised himself to standing. "Crowned Prince Nuada has been reborn in Bethmoora Forest. I have it confirmed by one of my spies."

"Slay him at once!" Grindel roared. The rest of the council began to shout in agreement, though adding with their comments the different methods they thought best.

"Silence!" Oberon shouted, raising both hands. The room once again fell into stillness at the king's words. All eyes remained locked on the faerie robed in furs as old as Stonehenge. He began walking towards the centre of the council chamber slowly. "We shall, indeed, slay the whelp before he has a chance to take away our right to a kingdom of darkness. However, I have a plan that will give us the control over the realm of men now that we have full power over the realm of magic."

"You do not yet have full power over anything," a voice interjected. All eyes in the room turned towards the source of the new speaker. At the entrance, clad in black feathers, stood the Morrighan, the only one of the sisterhood welcomed in the false king's presence. Long had Oberon desired to make the Morrighan his chief advisor and general over his armies, but the sorceress had refused. While she was darker and had a more sinister purpose than her sisters, she was anything but evil. She strode calmly towards Oberon, smiling wickedly. "Do you forget that the elves have refused to acknowledge you as king?"

Oberon laughed dryly. "They will not be able to refuse when the stone remains of Nuada are presented to them!" he reasoned. "Until then, no one has stood against me. I shall cut down all resistance as harvest corn until only the loyal and fearful are left."

"Then you will be left with piles of corn, Oberon, nothing more," the Morrighan replied quickly. The king glared at her hatefully. "I know what you would do to claim the world of man. I have heard of your attempts to find the Cauldron of the Deathless Few. Your efforts will be in vain, Oberon. Even should you find it, you will never command its power."

"Perhaps you underestimate me, Lady Morrighan," Oberon sneered as he gestured out towards the rest of the council. "I have something that your precious sisterhood, Balor, and all the rest of the realm do not."

"I remember well, Oberon, that you have a human heart alongside your own, a heart seething with power and cleverness in attaining it," the Morrighan replied. "Be mindful of its weaknesses, Oberon. That will cause your downfall. Humans may have a thirst and reach for power, but they are easily destroyed."

Oberon snarled and reached out to take hold of the woman. Before his fingers even brushed the air in front of her, she slipped back into her bird form and fluttered out of the room cawing happily. The king growled and turned to the rest of his subjects. "Find Nuada, bring him to me, kill all those who would defend him!" he ordered. The beings roared in agreement and watched as their king slipped back into the darker portion of his palace beneath Newgrange.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nuada slept soundly and dreamlessly for only a brief few minutes. He awoke, confused and hungry once again. He felt warm, but that was due to the presence of the human beside him. The prince did a double take, glancing back at the sleeping girl in shock. He quickly got off of the bed and glared at her. He instinctively reached for the blade at his side only to find that it was no longer there. What had happened? His mind was still in a little patch of fog. He breathed calmly and tried to recall what had happened that day.

The Morrighan had come and she had refused to help him once again, then he had been victim to a fit of emotion, and then the human came into the forest. His mind lit up with recognition; the girl had helped end the fit of emotion. She had given him food, water, and brought him here to have rest as well. He frowned. Humans were a plague, but at least one of them seemed to have selflessness to her. He glanced around at the dwelling, noting that the tree was still growing in and around the structure. Whoever thought of the design must have been a magical being, a dryad perhaps. He turned as he heard someone heading up the creaky ladder towards him. He stood in front of the bed in a protective reflex.

"Oh, good, sire," Puck said with a smile. "You're awake. I am so glad that you slept for a moment. Perhaps after you've had more to eat you'll sleep through the night."

"There was a human in bed with me, Puck, _**with me**_!" the prince shouted as he pointed to the girl. Puck hopped to him and placed a paw on his leg. "What were you thinking letting her in!?"

"Sire," the rabbit said softly. "This is her dwelling. She spends quite a bit of time here studying and listening. The trees even have their own name for her now. She's quite tame, I assure you. I do wish you wouldn't shout and wake her. We'll need for her to be asleep until I can remember the spell to send her walking home."

"What?" the prince asked confusedly.

"A spell to send her walking home while still asleep," Puck explained. "I learned it nearly two-hundred years ago, but I am sure that I can remember it. Please come down, sire. I have brought some berries from the forest and news about the rest of your kind if you wish to hear it."

"Very well," the prince said with a wave and moved towards the ladder. As he began climbing down, the girl stirred and rolled to one side.

"No, the big one, Abe," she muttered. He hesitated for a moment, watching her. She seemed harmless enough and had been genuine in wanting to help him earlier. She said that she had known who he was, and still she desired to save him. Was she mad, or was she self-loathing? There were a few humans who he had seen in his life who almost had an elf's spirit to them. These creatures often left the cities and went to live in their own form of exile. He had admired it from a distance, but had never spoken to one. The girl had moved away from the covering of the quilt and was beginning to shudder in the damp night air. A swelling of unusual pity welled up within him and he felt compelled to act. This was something that could have easily been ignored in the past, but for some reason pity had a good firm grip on him. As he walked over to the girl, he told himself that things would be different when he had recovered entirely. He didn't want to kill the girl, but he did want her to stay away from the forest and anywhere near where he could be seen by her again.

Puck watched in amazement as the prince took the edge of the quilt and placed it carefully over the girl. She was a mystery, the prince thought. An annoying mystery, especially given the fact that the Morrighan had wanted them to work side by side in doing something that only a magical creature should have had the right to do. He reached out and softly touched the girl's face, it was very warm. He frowned and pushed away the rest of the feelings of guilt, satisfied that with the gesture he had repaid her for the minute kindness she had shown him. He hurried back to the ladder and climbed down onto the first level.

Puck raised himself back to his magical form as he began pacing and trying aloud to remember the words to the spell. Nuada shook his head and began to look around the rest of the tree house. All in all, the dwelling seemed a pleasant enough place. It was dry and warm by comparison to the tree or the tent and it was more quiet than the clearing. It did disturb the prince that this was a human creation and that the human that used it was sleeping upstairs. Still, the girl had done him a favour and he owed her the return to her home safely. Puck paced a few moments more as the prince examined the small collection of books in the library corner. Most of them were works of fiction, especially stories of magic. There were many he recognized and quite a few that he did not. The pwca sauntered over to him as he picked up a small tome about a castle that moved.

"You mustn't disturb much here, sire. It wouldn't do for Titania to find anything out of place or missing," the pwca said as he gently took the book away and set it back on the shelf. The prince frowned and stared at him harshly.

"My dear pwca, as long as I am forced to be without my kindred I will most likely use this place as shelter. In that light, I am now master of this dwelling and you do not tell me what I can and cannot do," he corrected taking the book back. "Now, tell me what you have learned and send the girl home. In the morning I will fetch my blade and we will go and inquire among your forest brethren about the entrance to the Faerie Ring."

Puck sighed heavily and walked over to the table, taking a seat. On the table lay a pile of wild blackberries and blueberries that the rabbit had gathered while the two were sleeping. There wasn't much to be had and what had been gathered was quite wet, but it was more than bread and that was what mattered most at the moment. The prince sat down opposite the pwca and leaned against one elbow propped on the table. Puck relayed everything he had heard from the birds and other creatures about Oberon from the day the old phony had taken up the throne. Nuada listened intently, feeling a fire of anger starting to burn at hearing how the beast had claimed a right to rule, had begun invading realms not of his own and setting up a post with some of his thugs, and then finally how he had celebrated Balor's death. Nuada looked away at the pwca's last words and breathed heavily.

"The rumour is, sire, that he knows of your return and wants you dead," the pwca explained. Nuada sat upright and nodded resolutely. A loud crash of thunder shook the tree house violently. Nuada jumped at the sound. Puck frowned and shook himself without thinking. "Oh, no! I would have hoped that this storm would have passed us by! She'll catch her death walking home in this."

The elf closed his eyes, fighting a battle between two ideas in his mind. The one idea was to command the pwca to send the girl regardless and let nature take what it wanted, the other held a more compassionate tone and bid that the pwca wait to send the girl home until the storm had passed entirely. The prince groaned at the thought of being so near a human for several hours as the rain and lightning went their way. There was also, of course, the notion that he would be without a bed until she left. Before the prince and the pwca could speak to one another on the matter one way or the other, the two heard the ladder to the upstairs creaking as Titania climbed down. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and stared at the two of them uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but I need to be getting back home. My mom will start worrying about me and send a rescue squad if I'm not at dinner," she said moving towards the entrance. "I know you don't want that."

"Indeed," the prince said as he watched the girl start climbing down the thin staircase towards the ground. He said nothing else as the girl began to close the door. Suddenly, Titania felt her left foot slip on the wet surface of the stairs and it flew out from under her. Nuada noticed this through the partially opened door and raced over to her, catching her by the wrist before she could fall. The girl gasped and stared into his eyes for a moment. Realizing that he had just spared her life, or at least a limb, once again he growled and set her back on the stairs. "Ridiculous clumsy human! Your coordination is as lacking as your features! Next time fall more quickly and fully to save me the embarrassment of your future presence!"

Titania opened her mouth to say something, but found no words. She simply stared at the elf in shock. She had saved his life and he was insulting her on at least two levels. She turned away and darted down the staircase as quickly as safety would allow. Puck stood behind the prince as he closed the door and cursed himself for being cruel. War meant destroying the enemy, not tormenting them. He looked back at the pwca who shook his head.

"Well," the pwca said as he walked back towards the table. "I do believe you might have given her a reason to not come back."

Titania hurried through the forest ignoring the fear at hearing the thunder and seeing the lightning, the pain in her limbs forming as a fever took hold, and the darkness that was filling the forest as fully as the rain while she cried. This was not at all like a fairytale. The very story that Lewis had told her about the prince's reason for hating humans was not anything like a fantasy she would have read on nights like this one. This was too dark, too real to be magic. This was a nightmare and one that she looked forward to being rid of. As she reached the door of the mansion, she thought about what the prince had said. Perhaps he was simply lashing out after being so deprived of necessities and feeling so alone. Perhaps he was striking back at her for saying that he looked like a demon.

She frowned. She had yet to apologize for saying that. Of course he would be angry with her, she had insulted him very deeply on the day that they had met. As she ignored the questions from Magnus about where she had been and what she had done that day, she walked slowly up the stairs and thought about what the best way to offer him an apology would be. He may not even be there the next day. Magical creatures needed to be among their own kind, and surely the very prince of the elves would be taken back in among them very soon. She sighed as she flopped down on her floor, still wiping away tears. There was more reading to do and she still needed to sleep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nuala and Abraham had spent the better portion of the night swimming and playing together, doing more than simply moving around in the water and enjoying one another's company. By morning, both were exhausted and ready to share a life together both in and out of the water. Abe had thought and thought during their playtime that perhaps simply leaving the bureau wasn't the best idea. What the world would do to him was unimportant, but he couldn't imagine what the world would do to Nuala. It seemed to have driven her brother mad to be living around the city without proper companionship. Even with friends, it would be safer and more comfortable to remain in the compound until he could think of a suitable place for them to live. He would need to speak with the others. At the very same moment, Red and Liz decided to discuss with their friends what they thought about giving Manning a second chance but on altered terms of their contracts as it were. In his own study, Thomas Manning thought over and over again about how best to get the group to stay. The thoughts and theories of all parties involved bubbled and simmered separately, uniting them only in secret as the sun began to rise over Trenton.


	9. Revealing

**Chapter 9**

"What about a 401k or something?" Manning said as he paced back and forth in the room where the group of nearly retired agents sat after having handed him a list of demands. He sighed and slammed it onto the table. "I can't do all of that! I can't!"

"Well, that's the only way you're going to reel us back in," Red commented as he pulled Liz closer to him. The two turned and stared at Abe and Nuala happily. Dr. Krauss sat in the corner, looking over the list and muttering to himself. "In fact, I think I'd like to add a clause that says you have to stop whining at me."

"Do you have any idea what it would do to us to give you everything on this list? A raise in pay including paid leave for family and maternity?" Manning said giving a harsh look to Liz. The girl shrugged and smiled. "Options for alternative health care?" Nuala smiled and grasped Abe's hand. "A congressional hearing to declare your marriages as being recognized by the United States including a lobbyist on behalf of paranormal beings?" Manning exclaimed.

"I added that one," Krauss added excitedly.

"And as if that wasn't enough, you want me to have them build a new facility in a place more conducive to raising a large family?!" Manning threw the papers down on the table once again. "What is wrong with you people?! Do you have any idea what I do for you every day?"

"Thanks for calling us people, Tom, but we need to be treated like people and not just called people," Liz said standing and leaning over the table to glare at him. "So, when can we expect you to draw up the new contracts?"

"This is ridiculous, you guys," Manning sputtered as he flipped thoughtlessly through the pages. "There's just no way . . . the guys in Washington would never . . . I mean, we don't even see this kind of money in a decade for this department!"

"Actually; I was going over the budget, as well as a few other things, and I've come up with a cost-effective and timely manner in which the whole bureau can accomplish this," Abe offered. Manning glanced over at the creature and frowned. "There may not be much left over for the petty cash fund, but that hasn't been an issue with this department, has it?"

"There are other things to consider here," Manning protested. The group looked at one another and nodded in silence. Manning sighed and rubbed his head. "I can't, I just can't do this for you."

"Then I guess it was nice working for you," Red said with a smile. He reached out, taking Liz by the hand as the two began to walk away. Abe stood and took Nuala by the arm, leading her towards the exit. "Come on, Krauss. Maybe we could use a go-between who's a stickler for the rules."

"No! Wait!" Manning shouted frantically. The group turned towards him, expectantly. Liz folded her arms, giving the man a visual warning to not be wasting their time. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and folded his hands in front of him. "If I promise to go before the guys at headquarters and give them this list in full, will you please stay until then? Please? There's still clean-up work to do with that troll-market area and there's no one else to ask."

"Perhaps we might stay and help with that much," Nuala offered. The group turned to her in surprise. "There might be some other creatures, I mean, people that might be able to take their place."

"No one could take your places, any of you!" Manning shouted frantically. Red and Abe stared at the man, both noting the genuine fear and friendship in the man's voice. Manning might have been complacent and unintelligent from time to time, but there seemed to be real respect for them at the moment. Red shook his head and looked towards Nuala. "I can give you whatever you want within reason until then, huh? How does that sound?"

"Are you still thinking he'll need our help in the near future?" he asked, not forgetting the she-elf's words when she had first arrived back at the compound. She nodded. "Well," the demon said turning back to their flustered supervisor. "I guess we could stick it out until all of us go and talk to the boys upstairs, all of us."

"All of you? But . . ." Manning began to protest. Liz allowed a flicker of flame to begin to dance above her head. Manning put up both of his hands defensively. "Alright, okay, you can arrange to come with me. Happy?"

"Getting there," Abe said with a broad grin. Red turned to him and stared at him in confusion. The fish man motioned for his friend to speak with him later.

Red nodded and waved to Manning as he headed for the door. Liz, noticing the looks between her husband and Abe. She turned to Nuala, raising one brow inquisitively. Nuala noted the girl's gaze and sensed the questions behind it. She whispered to Abe that she would meet him in the library later. The man looked at the two women and nodded with a smile. As the group left the room, Liz and Nuala strayed off to the side.

"So what's the deal, are you and Abe together or something?" she asked with guarded excitement.

Nuala smiled, a slight blush forming beneath her pale skin. "We are unified, married as it were," she said softly. "We are bound to one another for the rest of our lives."

"This doesn't mean that you're going to die when he does, or anything, does it? I mean, what does this change?" Liz asked in concerned curiosity. Nuala stared back in confusion.

"I am not sure I understand, love and unity have not changed either of us," the princess replied. Liz nodded with a relieved sigh. "At least, it has not changed us too drastically," Nuala added with a slightly uncomfortable tone. Liz turned back to her, feeling a renewed concern for both Abe and the elf. Nuala rubbed one shoulder pensively. "Elizabeth, Liz, how did you find the courage to tell your husband that you were bearing his children?"

"It wasn't courage as much as it was being sure that he wasn't going to freak out, it was timing. Your brother helped out there. I told him to get him to wake up after the blade had been . . ." Liz trailed off as a realization came to her. She turned her eyes to stare directly into the elf's. "Oh my God, are you?"

"I only have a few days, that is the way it has always been with my people," she explained sheepishly. Liz smiled brightly, wandering whether or not it would feel right to give the princess a sisterly hug. "I do fear that your superiors will be against our union and very much against us having a child. Not that we could not protect him, but I wander about how we will find a place for him that is not restraining. Elves and those of the sea must be free, after all. He will be no different."

"He? It's a boy already?" Liz asked excitedly. She took both the elf's hands in her own. While the girl had never been one for emotional displays, especially ones that involved the typical Lifetime network crying/rejoicing, but there was a female bond at the moment between them and a need to both show it and strengthen it as well."

"When should I tell him?" Nuala asked softly as two other operatives passed, speaking loudly to another agent over their communications devices. Liz smiled and looked towards the door to the library.

"How long do you have?" she asked.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Puck had predicted, Titania had not returned to the forest the next day. Nuada had silently sulked that the Morrighan had not shown herself either. He had returned to the clearing and called for her several times, but still had not seen or heard anything that even closely resembled her. The day after, he had done the same and even waited at the edge of the forest, sparring with an invisible enemy as he waited for one of the two. Neither appeared. On the third day, Puck informed the prince that he needed to go and show himself to Oberon and report what he had seen in the forest. He would be sure to be as vague about the prince's return as possible, but if he did not show himself soon then the faerie king would be more angry than Nuada could have ever hoped to have been. The elf had not been alone in the forest since his arrival and was quite uncomfortable with the idea of being so. Still, he needed to find out from the forest creatures where the entrance to the Faerie Ring was. Puck had been very kind to him, fetching him food and water as well as making sure that he slept every night, but he could not continue to live above ground in the forest especially while there was no one on the throne and his people were continually oppressed by the threat of humanity.

Nuada had tried to speak with various creatures for the past two days with no results. The animals either refused to speak with him because they blamed him for Titania's disappearance (word of his cruelty having spread quickly) or were too busy to spare even a moment to speak with the prince. He was angry, to say the least, but decided that such ignorance and rudeness was only to be expected from peasantry that lacked magical ability of any kind. Puck had left early in the morning, leaving the prince unattended and unfed. He sighed heavily, not wanting to allow something as trivial as hunger to overtake him again. He was unused to finding food for himself anywhere away from a marketplace. He had heard the sound of a brook when he had been reborn, perhaps there were fish.

As he had expected, he found the stream only a few minutes away from the tree-house. The dwelling had served as an acceptable home for him while he found his people. He had found the bed as acceptable as the one he had used beneath the troll market. The bedclothes and pillows had not been as luxurious, but the forest floor was even less of a comparison. He had slept well for the past three nights save for worrying whether or not he could count on the help of the magical world here across the sea. He wondered whether or not it would be a good idea to go back to what was called the Americas. The stream was a good six feet wide, and four feet deep. It seemed like more of a river than a stream to Titania, but Nuada knew well that the rivers in this land were wider and deeper by far than this. Looking carefully into the clear water, he could see several small fish swimming past.

"Not quite the size I had hoped for," he muttered as he began disrobing. His pale skin glowed brightly where the sun peeked through the branches of the trees. He breathed deeply, enjoying the warmth that kissed his flesh ever so often. Below the city he was lucky to have warmth even when a fire burned in his furnace or by the candles. He had loathed using the electricity that the other creatures had siphoned from the humans. Being honest with himself at the moment, he thought about how much more alive he felt now in this forest than he ever had beneath the city. He drew in a deep breath and waded out into the stream. "Come on, now," he said softly as he lowered both hands slowly into the water up to the elbow and waited.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania waited by the window dressed in a pair of old blue jeans and a tunic composed of several pictures of seed packets. She frowned and looked out the window longingly. She had been suffering from a terrible fever accompanied by a cold for the past two days. She groaned and leaned back on the couch dramatically. Her mother had given strict instructions for the girl to be kept indoors while she went off to Milan for a design convention. Nadia had told her daughter that she had been called away to the convention for a week. Titania wouldn't have minded except that she had been imprisoned in the woman's absence. She watched Magnus walk by, glancing around at the peace in the house. Ravi strode over and flopped down beside the couch.

"Is there anything I can bring you, Titania?" Magnus asked with a tone of sympathy for the girl. He knew how much she treasured her outings into the forest, it was as much a part of who she was as her own voice. She looked away, silently sulking as the prince had done. The butler took a seat near her and smiled. "Misses Badcrumble could use some help with the apples in the kitchen, I think."

"She's way too happy about me not being allowed outside," the girl muttered. Misses Badcrumble had fussed for over a day about her symptoms and the crying she had done when coming home that night. Titania shook her head and sighed. "It wouldn't kill me to go out for a little while."

Magnus looked to the side, not wanting to deny the girl her one true joy, but also not wanting to disappoint the madam. He looked around the room for an answer, any answer to what he should do for her. He looked down into the bored face of the new addition to the family. Ravi had made himself quite comfortable in his new home, but still had a nasty tendency of getting into things that made the servants' scream and go white as sheets. A smirk crossed his face as he thought about an option in allowing Titania some time outside. He reached down and took hold of the tiger's collar. Titania watched in shock as the butler walked him over to the door and opened it.

"Be back within the hour," he said with a wink.

"Two hours," Titania countered with a smile.

The butler sighed and tapped the door. "One and a half, that is all young lady. Now go on before someone sees," he said. Titania jumped off the couch and hugged the man tightly. She headed out the door in a flash and began bounding towards the forest. "Oh Misses Badcrumble, the tiger's in the garden. Come and help me!" the man shouted back towards the kitchen as he allowed the tiger outside. The tiger, growled happily and bounded onto the grounds to explore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania had never felt so happy to be back out in the forest again. She hadn't ever really been denied access like this when she had wanted so badly to be there. She darted through the trees calling for Lewis. She was afraid to call for the prince outright, but she did want to see him again. She had innumerable questions about the magical realm for him. She had wandered through the clearing twice and out to the tree house twice as well before feeling anxious. Where could the rabbit-creature and the prince be? She sighed heavily and noticed something unusual, footprints leading away from the stairs. She smiled. They led to the east, towards the stream. They must have been at the stream. She glanced at her wristwatch and bit her lip. She had forty-five minutes now. She would need to move quickly. Following the footprints, she made her way out to the stream with her heart beginning to thunder rapidly. As she found herself standing several feet away from the shore, she felt her heart beat all the faster at the sight of the prince waist deep in the stream.

The prince's exquisite hearing caught the sound of her approach and her breathing. He turned and stared at her for a moment. He frowned and turned back to the stream, staying very still and quiet. Titania inched forward, trying to get a better look at what the prince was doing. He raised his upper lip in a silent snarl and turned his head slightly to glare more angrily towards her. It was a silent warning to stay put. To his surprise, she only hesitated, but then continued to move forward.

"Come any closer, girl-child, and you will suffer for it," he warned in a low tone. Titania froze. He smirked. "Much better."

"What are you doing?" she asked softly. He growled at her insistence. The annoyance was short lived as a large fish swam right past his left hand. He shouted happily as he grasped it in the water. Droplets splashed here and there as he gripped it tightly and began to toss it onto the shore. He turned and stared at Titania who, despite blushing with embarrassment at this sight, was still staring at him in awe. "You're beautiful."

"An astute observation," he remarked. "Turn your head." Titania simply stared back, unmoving, in unbreakable awe. He sighed and drew in a deep breath. "I said, turn your head, human girl."

"Oh!" she exclaimed with realization. She whirled around and placed both hands on the trunk of a tree, breathing heavily as the prince waded to the shore. He climbed back onto the shore, watching the fish for a moment as he gathered his clothes and began to dress once again. "I take it that Lewis isn't here. I was wondering where you two were since you weren't at the tree-house."

"His name is Puck, girl, not Lewis. I do believe I was relieved at thinking you were not going to return until I had left," he said angrily as he straightened the belt. He dressed from the waist down, still wanting total freedom in the movements of his arms and shoulders. Titania frowned. He must have still been angry at her for referring to him as a demon. Complimenting him now would not make up for that. She sighed as he strode over to her, now carrying the fish. "Why have you returned?"

"I wanted to see you again, and I can't stay away from the forest. It's like my home," she said as she stared up into his eyes. He turned and laughed.

"Your home? Clearly your parents never taught you about the truce betwixt mankind and elfkind; the forests, girl, belong to the elves and the elves alone. Man was to remain in his cities where he belonged," the prince explained. "Speaking thusly, you are quite young for a human, are you not? Where are your mother and father? Do they know that you are speaking with the enemy?"

"Enemy?" Titania asked in bewilderment. She shook her head. Nuada had asked her a question and she hadn't answered it. She needed to remember better manners in the presence of magical royalty. She nodded her head to him. "My mom is in Italy on business, your highness, and my dad is in New Jersey doing his job."

"And you live on your own while they are off on their own? Peculiar circumstances for a young girl. It must make their union all the more difficult," he mused. "I've never understood the human obsession with finding a mate, but at least yours have worked through some sort of barrier that allows them enough freedom to survive one another without suffocation."

Titania glared at him. "My parents are divorced," she said angrily. Nuada froze and turned to her. "They split up when I was like three."

"Oh," he said looking away sheepishly. He had never had a conversation with a human before, it made no sense to speak with someone that you intended to kill. Nuada knew that he couldn't kill this girl himself. There were many humans that he could not bring himself to slay, but that was why he needed an army. Mercy, in the face of destruction, was weakness. "And you live with your mother because you are female?"

"No, because dad works too much to take care of me," she said. Titania looked down and shook her head. She couldn't believe she was sharing something so personal with an elf prince. This was definitely not a fairytale. "Look, I didn't want to talk about that, your highness. I wanted to ask you a few questions about the magical world."

"Ask then," he said as he knelt and took out a small dagger that had been on the belt of the shogun uniform. Titania narrowed her eyes in confusion as the prince pulled a flat rock to him and set the fish on it. "But I do not intend to answer."

"But, your highness, I don't think I'll ever get to see . . ." she began. Her voice disappeared as the elf slid the knife's point effortlessly into the fish's belly and began sliding it forward. Titania felt herself getting queasy as he made a perfectly smooth incision from one end of the fish to the other. Her stomach turned fully as he grasped it by the mouth and ripped the innards free of the meat. The girl turned and vomited by a tree, coughing and gagging. The prince smirked and finished dressing the creature. "Oh, gross, that's disgusting!"

"It is skill, you mean," he corrected. He stood and carried the fish bones and insides into the river. Titania gasped in horror. He scoffed at her and walked back over to the rock. "His kin will clean up after him."

"You're going to cook that, right?" she asked almost afraid of the answer.

"Why?" he said sitting on the ground in front of the rock. "It has already been slain. Why would I injure it further?"

"Raw fish?!" she exclaimed in horror. The elf shook his head and stared down at the fresh dressed catch. "Well, I guess it's not any different than sushi. Hey! That was something I wanted to ask you; you're dressed like a shogun, do the elves come from Japan? I've always heard that they were from the northern parts of Europe, but you seem to behave, move, dress, and eat Japanese."

"I do not understand most of what you are saying," he continued as he began to cut a piece away from the fish. "That is, as a general rule, because I try not to. I am sparing your life, girl, out of the kindness of my heart. It is quite limited, you see, so I bid you good day and order you not to return."

Titania turned away as he began eating the fish. She gulped and took a few deep breaths. "Your highness, I really want to ask you some things about your people," she urged. "And I am sorry that I called you a demon, it was rude and very disrespectful."

"A human's apology is worth less than their promises," he muttered, finishing one of the halves. "Still, you did not do any real harm."

"Then you forgive me, your highness?" she said excitedly.

"Hardly," he replied looking at the final sliver of the fish in his hand. Before he could raise it to his lips, a small flash of black feathers swooped past him, snatching the fish in its path. "Argh!" he cried out in surprise. He stood slowly as the Morrighan settled on a branch and swallowed the fish. He bowed his head and watched as she transformed. Titania gasped and took a step backwards. "Lady Morrighan."

"Prince," she said looking at him angrily. Titania remained very still as the Morrighan walked to her and turned her away from him. "You are indecent, clothe yourself in the presence of ladies."

He scowled, striding slowly over to the tunic and over-shirt and slipping them on carefully. As soon as he had finished, the sorceress turned Titania back to him, keeping her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I see that you have not begun the quest. That is disappointing, but your companion has returned. Though I hardly think I shall allow you to continue if you have refused to accept the assistance for three days."

"It's not his fault, my lady," Titania interjected quickly. Both the elf and the sorceress turned to her in shock. Titania felt her voice grow very thin and hoarse in the presence of yet another powerful magical being. She had read about a woman-creature by the name Morrighan, also called the Washer at the Ford. She was the Angel of Death, the Valkyries, and Athena all rolled into one. Titania began to tremble slightly. "That is, I was sick for the past few days."

"Indeed," the woman said as she turned back to her nephew. "And what have you to say to this? She is well, will you accept my tasks?"

"I will not," Nuada replied firmly. The Morrighan glared at him, hissing with her eyes. He turned away. "The humans are destroying the earth by the minute, my lady. Who will stop them if not I? I have been the only creature alive willing to take action to save it."

"Is that so?" the Morrighan laughed. Nuada looked away, knowing that Morrighan had some sort of trick up her sleeve meant to prove him wrong. She laughed and patted Titania's shoulder. She turned the girl to face her and looked deeply into the girl's eyes. "I have given the prince three tasks to complete if he wishes to find the entranceway to his home. I have seen your heart, you will aide him if he will accept." Titania nodded. The Morrighan smiled and glanced towards her nephew skeptically. "If the prince agrees to do so within a fortnight, then I shall return to him his proper clothing and weapon."

Nuada froze. This was an offer he truly couldn't refuse. He would be clad in his own garments again instead of constantly being surrounded by the feel and smell of humans. His spear was also part of the bargain, something that made him feel complete and safe. He sighed heavily and turned to the woman, frustrated at her ability to manipulate beings to do her bidding by holding something so precious over their head. She chuckled and took her hands away from the girl.

"I can be assured of this?" he asked cautiously.

"Can you?" the Morrighan laughed. She twirled around once, her cloak changing to wings. "I will look in on you tomorrow, Nuada. The eclipse grows nearer. Complete the first task and you will have your gear once again."

"Before the task is completed," he argued. "I will not face another being dressed like a human."

"That didn't seem to bother you before," she mused and fluttered away. "Good luck, Titania! Keep him guessing!"

The girl watched as the woman-bird flew off into the distance. Nuada sighed heavily and turned back to the girl. "I suppose you expect me to tell you what needs to be done and that I require your assistance?" he asked scornfully. Titania said nothing as she stared back at him. "Get used to denials, human girl, you will hear 'no' many times in your life for greater requests than this."

"I can help you, your highness," she said softly. He turned and stared at her in confusion. She wasn't taking the insults personally, running away crying, or screaming reprimands at him. This was all very unusual for a human. "I can do things and I've read many books about this forest and some of your people."

"It is not a matter of can you do this, girl, it is _should_ you do this," the prince said. "And you do not seem wise enough to know the difference."

"Does that mean that you'll be teaching me as we go along?" she asked hopefully. He frowned and shook his head. Before he could make any further arguments, the girl glanced at her watch and gasped. "Oh no! I need to be home in six minutes!" She darted back towards the mansion, calling back to him. "I'll be back tomorrow morning, I promise!"

"Wonderful," the prince muttered sarcastically. If there was one thing worse than a human with power it was a human with insatiable curiosity.

Titania raced back to the mansion, slipping on a fallen twig only once, but otherwise without any delays. As she reached the edge of the forest, she saw five of the servants with Magnus and Misses Badcrumble out on the grounds with various objects for defense; plastic rakes, a wooden shovel, a butterfly net. Titania stared at this in confusion as she walked towards the door leading into the dining room. Misses Badcrumble spotted the girl as she reached for the handle.

"Go back inside, Titania, we'll find him," the old woman said breathlessly. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Here kitty, kitty!"

Titania frowned and swallowed hard. In an effort to give her some time in the forest, Magnus had lost Ravi. Then again the butler may have been looking for an excuse to get the tiger out of the house no matter what. She shook her head as she went up the stairs and into her room. She climbed onto her bed, taking the book that she had borrowed from her father out of her backpack. She stared at the cover and flipped through the pages once again. She could barely make out the pictures and words except that they showed magical creatures, elves included, and men living together and then apart. She frowned and flipped through to the last page. A small piece of paper dropped onto her lap. It was written in Abe's hand, and appeared to be fairly new. It read:

_**Page 17 Translation:**_

_Gather around and this shall tell, of the prince whose heart broke with a spell. Contained within a silver vial, while the prince was but a child. Into his cradle goblins crept, and promptly cursed him as he slept. When the sun did next arise, midnight stained his lips and eyes. His shattered heart beat like a sieve, and only gave enough to live. The fair queen mourned to the moon above, for now he could not harbour love. But the Modron spoke to ease her heart, **"N**__**o spirit can never love impart. And if love but for a moment finds, sorrow in his wounded mind, desperation's healing is, the purity in . . ."**_

_link between princess and brother?_

_cure for a curse? –missing sentence needs to be found_

Titania looked over the paper a few more times. This was the story that Puck had told her, at least the beginning of it. Had the group back in New Jersey heard of Nuada and the elves? She entertained the idea of calling and asking, but decided for now that the group had bigger things to think about than fairytales come to life. She sighed and set the book down. Perhaps the prince would be able to translate the rest of the book and tell her what it was about. She would have to take it to him in the morning to have a better look at it. She smiled brightly, blushing at thinking of the sight of the prince in the stream. He was actually quite handsome now that she had seen him in broad daylight and without being terrified or worried. She sighed and laid back. It was only natural to feel somewhat of an infatuation for a prince of any kind. She would just have to remind herself that he was heir to the throne of the magical realm, not someone to bring home and think about seriously. That would be difficult enough if he refrained from insulting her any more. _Even so_, she thought, _he does have beautiful eyes_.


	10. Play!

**Chapter 10**

Puck had returned to the tree-house later that evening. Nuada had been mortified to find that the pwca was bruised on his left shoulder. The rabbit creature had explained that Oberon's right-hand pwca called Andraste' had attacked him before the king had entered the room. The opposing pwca had been told that Puck had been communicating with the Morrighan without consulting the king immediately following. This was not the reason Puck gave to Nuada for the wound; slight tiff on grounds of a small disagreement, was all the rabbit would say to the prince as he hopped sadly into the corner of the upper bedroom and buried his head in his paws. Nuada frowned. He hadn't seen the rabbit look so subdued or be so quiet since he had arrived in the forest.

"Never fear, my friend, tomorrow you and I will scour the last corner of the near forest for answers to the Ring's location. When I am once again on the throne, you shall sit beside me, I will have a grand position for you as an advisor," the prince said proudly as he sat down near the rabbit. The creature said nothing, breathing timidly. "Now, I believe that we should begin by searching the cluster of five oaks out towards the west, what do you think?"

"What about the Morrighan's tasks?" the pwca asked softly. The prince scoffed and turned towards the window. "What about Titania?"

"That is out of the question, Puck. That girl is a menace to this forest like the rest of her kind. Oh, I have seen them at their worst; proud, empty, hollow, heartless creatures. They can barely stand one another," the prince said with a haughty tone that began grating significantly in the rabbit's ears. He lifted his head and stared angrily at the elf. "No, no, I shall find my own way into the court of my people. They are expecting me by now. I would wager that we shall find the entrance by the next week and be well on our way to purging this forest from wretched usurpers. The Morrighan is out of her mind, fraternizing and glamorizing the humans. We will do this ourselves, my friend."

"Friend," Puck said softly. The prince smiled, still staring out the window and away from the rabbit. He was unaware of the pwca rising on his haunches into his human form. "Friend?" A slight note of irritation coupled with sadness met the prince's ear the second time the pwca spoke. He turned and nearly gasped at seeing the massive contusion on the pwca's shoulder with blood trickling down his arm. Nuada leapt to his feet and stared down at him. "Friend am I? And what are you? You have been given an opportunity to accomplish something natural for your kind, the completion of a quest, and you refuse it in the name of your own selfish pride. Do you have any idea what the rest of us do in the name of your right to rule? Do you?"

The prince knelt and reached a hand out towards the pwca. He drew back, snarling at the prince in the first show of anger for him ever. "My friend, I had no idea . . ."

"That's the very problem, my prince, you have no idea," the pwca replied spitefully. "You think you have gathered knowledge through the suffering you endured beneath the city? Bah! You gathered dust and nothing more! Your ambition kept you alive, but for what? For more sulking and seething! The rest of us quiver in fear and step softly around the treachery of creatures like Oberon while you whine and point your finger at the humans! The humans are in danger as well!"

"But they broke the truce, they have destroyed our forests," Nuada protested. Puck stood more firmly and glared more angrily at the prince.

"And _**where were you**_?" he growled. Nuada's expression became blank. He had never thought of that before, not on his account at least. He had pondered it about his father; why weren't the elves at the forefront of a battle to defend the planet? The pwca shook his head. "Titania has such a deluded view of you for such an intelligent little girl."

"She is human, Puck!" the prince shouted, wanting desperately to have the rabbit offer him some form of acceptance. Acceptance of his hatred for humans would justify the harsh years in exile, the wasted time away from his sister, the death of his father, and the death he had endured with Nuala. The rabbit stood more fully and looked into the prince's face.

"She did not choose to be! She has chosen a peaceful existence among us. Why can't you just accept that?" the pwca shouted in frustration. The prince stared at him in strained silence. The pwca had been so understanding, so docile. Why was he being so disagreeable now? Puck leapt onto the bed, shifting back to rabbit form. "If only you could see her as less of a human, sire, and more as a child."

The prince turned away, thinking about the pwca's words and wounds. He walked slowly over to the edge of the bed and grasped the edges of the wound, placing his palm firmly over the cut and bruise as he held it still. Puck cried out in pain, but did not move away. Elves had the power to heal, but it took time. Nuada watched the inflammation and swelling begin to dissipate. He sighed and looked out the window once more. He was sure he could find the way into the Faerie Ring without being reduced to using a human's help. But Puck did have a point, the girl did not act in the mannerisms juxtaposed with her own kind. She was, apart from her forceful curiosity, more elf-like than human. He glanced back at the wound as Puck ceased sobbing. He stroked the rabbit's head affectionately.

"Whatever you said or refrained from saying to Oberon and the others on my behalf, I thank you. It was very courageous indeed," he remarked. The pwca blinked once, ruffling his whiskers with one paw. Nuada watched as the rabbit closed his eyes and began to drift into a well-deserved slumber. He knew that he should be doing the same before the hour became unacceptably late. He laid back against the pillows, pulling the rabbit up to his side. The pwca shifted, nuzzling against the prince's chest. He had stayed, literally, beside the prince every night since his arrival. Nuada realized, in a small amount, how ungrateful he had been to the little creature for his servitude. The least he could do was humour him with the first task. Besides, he would retrieve his clothing and spear with it. Perhaps the other forest creatures would recognize his authority after seeing the Bethmoora crest on him. "Goodnight, Puck."

"Goodnight, sire," the rabbit replied softly. The two closed their eyes and breathed away the heaviness of the past few sunlit hours as the moon filled the cool sky with new promises.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're what?" Abraham exclaimed in shock. He looked into the eyes of his new mate with exasperation after hearing the words 'with your child'. "How?!"

"Well, Abraham, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they sometimes . . ." she began slowly.

"No, no, no! Not that! I mean how for us?! We didn't . . ." he looked to either side before completing the sentence in a near whisper, "We've only made love once and that was just yesterday!"

"Which means we have exactly two days to prepare," she explained with a minute amount of confidence, but in a manner that told him she knew exactly what she was talking about. "Our children are carried for only one partial phase of the moon, three days. Mother said it was especially difficult to carry twins."

"Is it?!" he asked in terror. Nuala stared back, wounded at his fear and anxiety. She had expected him to be overjoyed at the news, not frightened. "Is it twins!?"

"No, not this time," she said cautiously. Abraham sighed heavily, feeling a dizzy spell beginning to overpower him. He grasped his forehead, groaning as he felt the room spin. Nuala moved closer to him, placing a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. He sighed heavily. "Abraham, what is wrong? Do you not want a son?"

"A son? It's a boy?!" he exclaimed. Nuala reached down and carefully took the man's hand, feeling cautiously for what he was experiencing. Abe had forgotten momentarily that the princess had the power to see into his mind just as he had the power to see into others'. She gasped and pulled her hand away. Abe straightened, realizing what had just happened. His heart shattered as he noticed a tear rolling down the side of her cheek. She placed one hand over her belly and began to sob softly. "Nuala, I do want a family, but we aren't ready."

"_I_ am ready," she said quivering.

"I am not ready to be a father. What kind of home would we have for him?" he argued trying to move closer to her and embrace her.

"Well, what do you want me to do, then? You gave me your heart, Abraham, all of it. I gave you mine! I thought . . ." she wiped the first tear away as two followed from each eye. "I thought that you and I were one, that we were perfectly matched."

"We are!" Abe said emphatically. He moved even closer, desperate to not let his emotions be such a bane to what he wanted most. "I love you, Nuala, but I don't think I can do well as a father right now. For Heaven's sake I don't even remember my own!"

"That should not prevent you from trying," she retorted almost angrily. Abe reached out, trying to wipe away the newer tears and prevent the next few that were sure to follow. "You have instincts, those should be enough."

"For a role model? What if I do the wrong things? What if I teach the wrong lessons and he grows up feeling angry or unloved?" he reasoned. The reasons seemed to work perfectly well in his own mind, but the princess simply stared back in a bitter mix of anger and sorrow. "What if he ends up completely scarred, or worse, like your brother? Your family . . ."

"What is wrong with _my family_?" she shouted angrily. Abe frowned and slapped himself metaphorically for saying possibly the worst thing in any situation. It was never fair to bring one's family into an argument as a reference. He groaned again, feeling even more dizzy. "You should know, Abraham, that my brother had a father throughout all of his childhood, in a sense. He had a good heart, there was nothing wrong with either of us and we both had a steady father. It was his choice that determined his fate, not father's. Father did let himself take nonsense from other beings when he should have been firm, but that does not and did not have any bearing on what happened to us!"

"That's not what I meant," Abraham said sadly turning away. "I just don't want to ruin him by making a mistake, that's all. Is there any way you could be mistaken about this?"

Nuala looked down at her hand, trembling with sadness as more tears flowed from her eyes. She sobbed softly and looked back towards her husband. The man realized that she had seen exactly how afraid he was and how it had made him almost angry to be thrust into this role so quickly. She turned and breathed heavily.

"I have never been mistaken about my body, Abraham," she replied timidly. She walked towards the door of the room slowly with careful footsteps. Abe was unsure of what to do now; should he chase after or go and ask for advice, and if the later then who? He shook his head and simply continued to watch as she opened the door. "But perhaps I have been mistaken about my heart."

"Princess, no," Abe argued as he started after her. She closed the door harshly behind her, the loud bang it made rang in his ears for several long seconds as he reached the facing. "I just need to speak with someone else. Someone . . ." he looked around the room for a moment as he thought aloud. Who could he turn to? Manning was usually the person the team went to for advice on actions, but he could hardly ask a man that had been unaware of his daughter's presence for two weeks what he should consider when it came to fatherhood. _Fatherhood_, he thought. _There aren't many other people here who have children of their own. I'm about to be the only one! No, Liz is expecting as well and . . . Red!_ He finished the conversation with himself with a smile and raced out of the room, heading towards the cat-sanctuary that served as Red and Liz's room for the time being. Surely the demon who had handled the news of his wife's pregnancy so well even in the face of adversity would be able to give him sound advice on this.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania decided to hurry down to breakfast the next morning hoping to not have any interruptions in getting outside. She slipped on the pair of jeans she had left by her bed and then a dark green sweater. The sky outside was overcast yet again. She frowned and reached into her closet, retrieving a black, woolen cape that she used in the winter. Autumn was close by, but she knew that there would be need of this kind of protection from the elements long before snow or the leaves had begun to fall. She raced down the stairs after putting on a pair of soft faux leather boots that her mother had given her a month before she had left for the visit with her father. They were light brown and didn't particularly match most of her clothing, but they would be more suitable for any time consuming task that she would be completing with the prince. By now he would be more than ready for her help. Surely the Morrighan appearing to him and offering him something so precious would have changed his mind.

Magnus gave her a message from her mother at the breakfast table and informed her that she was allowed outside only during the day now. Titania barely heard a word of what Magnus relayed until the end of the conversation where he informed her that Ravi was still missing. She turned towards the butler in anxious concern for the poor predator. Tiger or not, being alone in the woods was difficult for any new addition to the family. She frowned and finished the bowl of marmalade porridge that Misses Badcrumble had worked all morning to perfect.

"If you see him, you are to use your cellular phone to inform me right away," Magnus ordered firmly. Titania nodded and headed for the door. "We'll be prepared for the worst."

"Oh, please! He's not going to go on a murderous rampage! He's been hand-raised," Titania said as she headed out the door, unaware of the small spot of marmalade on the front of her sweater. She pulled the cape around her and began sprinting into the woods. "He's probably just trying to get something to eat."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sire, help!" Puck's voice screamed in the distance. Nuada sat bolt upright in the bed. He had asked the pwca to wake him each morning at sunrise and felt irritation rising at realizing he had not been roused at the proper hour. He climbed out of the bed and began pulling on the shogun clothing for what he hoped would be the final time. Once within the Faerie Ring he would be among those of his kind who could offer him much more fitting attire. "Sire! Help me!" Puck screamed again. Being fully awake, the prince was able to make out the words more clearly this time. He grabbed the bokun quickly and leapt down the ladder in one swoop. Dashing to the front door, he listened carefully for what was causing the distress. From the door, he could see nothing but the peaceful trees and the clouded sky darkening the coming day. He frowned and listened more carefully, sniffing as well. Relief met him as Puck appeared at the base of the tree, panting heavily and looking quite terrified. The pwca sat trembling, unable to move any further. The prince noted that his friend's terror must have been so great that he could not transform or do anything further to escape whatever was chasing him. He leapt down the stairs in three small jumps and caught the rabbit in one hand. Puck's heart sped more rapidly than an angry windstorm, fluttering against the prince's hand with unusual intensity. The elf climbed back up the stairs hurriedly, asking the pwca what had happened.

"It must have escaped from the zoo," the pwca muttered. "We have to hide before it sees us."

"Before what sees us?" Nuada asked as he set the rabbit down on the floor inside the tree-house. From the ground, he suddenly heard a soft growl. The prince turned and stared down in shock at the sight of an enormous black and orange cat with its front paws on the bottom most stairs. He narrowed his eyes, trying to distinguish the breed. "What on earth?!"

"Fluffy!" the tiger shouted in a child like voice in its own language before beginning to race up the stairs. "Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy!"

Nuada watched in horror as the beast began scaling the stairs towards the dwelling. He was sure that creatures of such size and stature were unable to reach the tops of trees, but then he had never seen a cat so large before either. He thought quickly. Puck could not transform and, even if he could, would be entirely unable to defend himself. The prince reached down and quickly picked up the bokun before leaping halfway down the stairs.

"Stay where you are, my friend!" he warned the pwca as he hurled himself to the ground behind the animal. The tiger turned, gazing excitedly at the prince with almost matching amber eyes. "What are you doing in the forest?"

"Play!" the tiger shouted happily and began bounding towards the prince. "Play, play, play!"

"No, not play! Answer me!" he demanded once again. The tiger ignored the command and continued romping towards the prince. Nuada, who was rather unfamiliar with tigers and the idea of domestic animal mentality, stayed put and simply gave a small shout as the tiger leapt onto him, pinning him to the ground. His bokun flew back several feet, landing enough of a distance away to keep the prince from simply reaching for it. He looked up into the tiger's face angrily. "Urgh! Get off of me! Do you know who I am?!"

"Play?" the tiger asked happily, looking into the prince's face with an excited tongue hanging from its mouth. The prince growled and tried to shove the tiger away. The tiger roared with joy and wrapped its paws around the elf, ready to wrestle in response. The elf shrieked as the tiger bit down softly on his shoulder, tearing the leather-mail free and shaking it furiously in its teeth. "Grrrrrrrrrr!"

"Puck, do something!" the prince exclaimed as he realized that the tiger was playing a game that would not end well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania looked at Misses Badcrumble in exasperation. "But I have to go out today!"

The old woman had gone out of her way to stand between the girl and the forest sternly. She had not given Magnus permission to allow the girl to go out and he had not been given permission by the madam; a fact that the cook had brought to the butler's attention, reminding him that the vicious brute was still out there. She shook her head and took the girl's shoulder in one hand.

"Not today, lassie, there's a great deal more than magic what can hurt you this time," the old woman said firmly. "Come along, we'll call someone to go and fetch the kitty."

"No! Misses Badcrumble, I have to go out to the tree-house, I promised," Titania protested, pulling her shoulder free of the woman.

"Promised who?" the cook asked with a narrowed gaze. Titania sighed and looked down. She wasn't quite sure of the reaction the cook would have when being told that it was the elf prince. She did know that the woman would believe her and she would have no worries about being called crazy. The woman's face softened, trying to coax the answer more fully from the girl. "Promised who, dear?"

"Prince Nuada," she said softly. The cook let out a long and shocked cry at the reply. Titania grunted in frustration and turned around once, holding her hands tightly at her chest anxiously. "Please, I promised him I'd come back and help him after what the Morrighan said."

"The Morrighan?!" the cook shrieked falling to her knees. Titania reached down and helped the trembling woman stand. "The end's come! I knew it would! You'll be dashed to pieces in the forest and there's nothing I can do to defend my poor, innocent, lovely Titania!"

"Misses Badcrumble," Titania grunted in irritation and embarrassment as the old woman leaned on her. "He's not as bad as you made him sound. I helped him a few days ago, gave him some food and stuff. He's a little moody, but I don't really think he'd do more than threaten to kill me. He hasn't done anything terrible, well, except maybe hurt Lewis, I mean, Puck. Why was he holding him like that anyway? I should ask him. I have so many things to ask him."

"You'll keep your tongue around him, do you hear me!?" the cook shouted in terror. Titania looked at her in confusion. Having never seen a worried mother fussing over her child in earnest, all of this seemed quite foreign to her. The cook sighed and shook her head. "If it is the will of the Morrighan, and I know you wouldn't lie to an old soul about such things, then I cannot deny you. But I can give you yet another warning. I know you came home crying the other night and now I know the source. You won't be honest about what the brute said, but whatever pain it gave you will be brought a hundred times worse if you have any dealing with him further than what's instructed by the Morrighan. Do not converse with him. Do not look at him if you can keep from it. And certainly do not touch him! Am I clear, lassie?"

Titania nodded, still staring at the woman in utter bewilderment. The cook sighed, grasping the girl's shoulder once again. She shook her head several times more and turned back towards the mansion. As she began walking back to the kitchen, Titania was sure that she could hear the old woman muttering about 'that tiger's still out there' and 'delicious bit of crumpet that would make'. The girl shook her head and ran off into the woods at breakneck speed. At least someone believed her, someone that would be concerned and know more about what to do if something went wrong than anyone else. She thought more and more about the cook's words as she neared the tree-house.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"For the . . . last time . . . I . . . order you to . . . get off of me!" the prince grunted between gasps and struggles to remove the tiger. The tiger roared and grunted playfully in return as he and the prince rolled to and fro, grasping one another in their faux combat.

"Play, play, play!" the tiger snarled happily.

"I am not . . . playing you . . . silly thing!" the prince said still trying to use all of his physical strength to remove the tiger with his hands. He now lay on his back, his knees bent in an effort to push himself off of the ground forcefully, and his hands gripping the tiger at its massive shoulders. The tiger leaned forward and licked the prince's face leaving a sloppy wet mess. "Urgh! You . . . beast! Get . . . off!"

"Your highness?" Titania called as she neared the tree-house. Nuada looked toward the girl, as did Ravi. Ravi's eyes widened and he drew in an excited breath. "Your highness, I've come back like I promised."

"Play!" Ravi shouted excitedly and quickly left the prince in a sloppy heap as he bounded in the girl's direction. "Play!"

"Oh no," the prince muttered as he climbed quickly back to his feet and raced over to retrieve his sword. He heard Titania shriek and felt every ounce of golden blood in his body rush to his face and hands. He trembled as he hurried down the path the tiger had taken towards the girl. He had no definite attachment to her, but it hardly seemed right for a human girl who had aided him to be torn to pieces by such a ridiculous creature in his presence. He arrived just as the tiger pounced onto the girl, pinning her as well. "No!"

"Ravi, you're here!" she shouted happily. The tiger licked her face as lovingly and enthusiastically as any faithful dog. He had adopted a more canine attitude since he had been raised by humans that didn't have the divine nature of the average feline. The tiger sniffed her intently and moved away from her shoulders, beginning to try and eat the marmalade stain on her shirt. "No, Ravi, no! Bad tiger!" she said sternly as she tried to push his head away.

Nuada leapt into the air and landed right beside the girl, raising the bokun at the tiger's shoulder. He intended to wound the beast to make sure that Titania could be safely removed, but the girl was unable to read the prince's mind. Instead, she read the fierce expression and squeaked in horror. She threw her arms around Ravi protectively covering his shoulder and neck as Nuada's bokun fell. Ravi roared as Titania's squeak became a scream of pain. The prince was unable to drop the weapon or stop himself before the blade made a deep cut in her shoulder. Blood began to course from the wound immediately as he knelt beside her. Ravi growled and turned to face the prince. The elf had been angered nearly to his limit in being unable to control his movements precisely as he had wanted. He turned and gave the tiger a silent, steely command to stay put. The animal hesitated, reaching its mouth towards the girl's good shoulder to pull her to safety.

"You've done enough, thank you," the elf snarled as he grabbed Titania harshly and pulled her to him. He looked over the wound as she shuddered, still wailing in pain and bleeding. "This is going to be very painful," he warned as he reached down and clamped one hand over the girl's wound, holding it shut while it healed. She gasped and screeched all the louder for a few moments. The prince closed his eyes, willing his natural energy to reach past the sound of her distress. He had always been unable to control himself when hearing another being in true distress. It was why he had been a grand warrior among other warriors, but never the ruthless murderer he had been named. The interrupted auction had been the worst act the elf had ever committed, though it was enough to give him the title in the minds of any human. "Breathe, girl, breathe. Let the pain fade with your breath," he instructed.

Titania breathed rapidly, gasping as the pain began to subside. Nuada removed his hand and looked down at the wound. It had healed into nothing more than a faint trace of a cut. He sighed heavily and looked towards the tiger once more. Ravi frowned and lowered his head. Titania composed herself, feeling all of the pain slipping away as she tried to stand. The prince moved backwards, allowing her room to stand and look back at the enormous creature.

"You-you-you tried to kill him," she stammered as she turned to face him. Nuada sighed and sheathed the sword. "You were really going to kill him."

"No I was not, I was trying to wound him so that he would not kill you," the elf replied angrily. Titania looked down at the tiger who, displaying true remorse, rolled onto his back and tilted his head apologetically. She looked back at Nuada, frowning. "Are you still in pain?"

"No, but I wish you wouldn't hurt the animals out here," she said sadly. The prince cocked his head to one side and gave her a reproachful gaze. "I mean, I wish you wouldn't harm any of the forest creatures, your highness."

"Explain," he said folding his arms.

"It's just that you were holding Lewis, I mean, Puck by the neck and shaking him when I first saw you. Then you killed a fish," she said beginning to look away. She was finding it very hard to be angry or focused when she looked into his eyes. Again, that was to be expected. All young girls share a universal desire to be with a prince, after all. She sighed. "And just now with Ravi. All he wanted to do was play, he wasn't going to hurt me."

"Well, if you can speak his language then kindly tell him to refrain from accosting royalty," the prince replied hotly. Titania turned, looking at him in confusion. "I was quite concerned for Puck's safety and my own when he attacked."

"I can't speak tiger," Titania said softly. Nuada unfolded his arms and moved closer. He examined her eyes, making sure that she was being truthful with him. She took a step backwards, trying not to make any further eye contact. "Can you?"

"All animals speak with their hearts and I can hear them, yes," he replied. He glanced at the tiger and then back at the girl. "But then how did you know he only wanted to play?"

"He looked playful, not hungry or angry," she replied with a shrug. The two stood in strained silence for a moment. "I didn't mean for him to get out, your highness. I'm sorry he hurt you."

"All is well," Nuada replied dismissively. He wanted to comment angrily on how cruel it was to keep such a creature as a pet. Animals were not meant to be kept, but rather taken in as companions for their short and pitiful lives. Humans had contorted yet another beautiful aspect of nature. "Take him and go back to your dwelling where the both of you will be safe. I doubt that the precious forest creatures that you oppose meeting any enemies, even the natural ones, will be safe with the beast on the loose."

"But what about the tasks, your highness?" she asked with a slight bow. He groaned and turned away. "Aren't you going to try and complete them?"

"Do you really believe that you can assist me? Come now, you are just a little human girl," he said with a more patronizing tone than he had ever used before. Titania glared at him. "Besides, you probably have no idea where the locations for the task are or what will be required once there."

"The journey is part of the task," she replied firmly. The prince smirked and watched a stern look of determination cross her youthful, feminine features. "And I'm fifteen, not a little girl," she added angrily. The prince lifted one brow, pointing out the fact that the girl had left off his title. She frowned and lowered her head. ". . . your highness."

"That does not sound like something a human would say," he said with amusement. She frowned and shook her head. He seemed to be on this tangent of anti-humanism every second of his life. "Very well then, I will amuse the Morrighan and order you to complete the first task with me."

"Great!" she shouted happily, trying her best to remember that she could not be an average teenager in the presence of royalty. She clasped her hands in front of her and waited for further instruction.

"The first task is to retrieve a map to the Faerie Ring from the Riddle Glen," he said waving his hand once for emphasis. "The Morrighan said that you would know where it is."

Titania fidgeted nervously. "Actually, your highness, I really don't know," she admitted softly. He chuckled scornfully, raising his eyes to the heavens as if to say that he had known she wouldn't. She moved closer to him, trying to keep her feelings of excitement as secretive as possible. "But I know how we can find out."

"Do you now?" he asked with a laugh. She frowned and scanned the forest for a moment. "And pray, how would we find out?"

"You said you can speak to the animals, we'll ask them," she offered. He shook his head.

"I have already spoken with the forest creatures and have found many of them to be as stunted in intelligence as any human." He strode past her. "None of them are of any help to us."

"You can't have asked every single one," she reasoned. "You haven't been here long enough." She scanned the forest more carefully, this time looking closely for a sign of an animal that would know its way around. She suddenly noticed a squirrel perched at the entrance to his nest. She smiled and pointed. "Have you asked him?"

"All squirrels look the same from a distance," he groaned. "Still, if you think it will be more quick then I shall oblige out of my desire to return home, nothing more."

"Nothing more required," she said with a smile as the prince walked over to the tree. Titania waited a moment before following after him. The squirrel chattered into the hole in the tree every so often as the prince stood and waited patiently for a break in the conversation. "What is he saying?"

"You, there," Nuada said firmly. The squirrel turned and stared at him in amazement. "My companion and I need to know the location to the entrance of the Riddle Glen."

"Jigger off," the squirrel replied with an agitated flick of his tail. Nuada felt a rage begin to form once again. He had experienced the same thing repeatedly with all of the other forest animals up to this point, though none so rude right off.

"I beg your pardon!" the prince exclaimed with restrained hostility. "How dare you speak to the heir to the magical throne in such a way! It is repulsive!"

The squirrel stared at the prince for a few moments, studying his features carefully. The rodent hopped onto a lower branch and gazed deeply into the prince's face. The creature's eyes suddenly lit up with recognition. "Oh yes! Nuada, prince, son of Balor and all that, but I thought that you were in self-induced exile?" Blinky said as he scratched his squirrelly chin.

"As you can see, I have returned," the prince replied with irritation. "Now tell me . . ."

"Blinky, who is it?" another voice from within the tree demanded. Titania stared at the tree in confusion, as did the prince.

"Uh, no one Whimpole," Blinky replied quickly.

"Oh no you don't, I heard someone, I know I did," Whimpole added. "Who is it?"

"Uh, you remember Nuada Silverlance, don't you Whimpole?"

"Oh yeah," Blinky said with a drawn out tone of reminiscence. "He's a loony, he is. Whatever you do, don't let him near that house beyond the forest. He'll murder every last one of 'em in their sleep."

"That is absurd!" Nuada protested.

"What did he say?" Titania asked impatiently. The prince sighed heavily and watched as the squirrels scurried back into their nest, chattering about the weather and royalty.

"He said something to the effect of I should not be allowed near your human dwelling lest I kill your family in their sleep, it is ridiculous," he fumed. Titania smiled, sensing that she had been right about the prince's nature all along. "I would never kill another being in their sleep. Oh, and I hardly think that they know where the Glen is."

The girl frowned and looked away. He wasn't denying the charge of murder, just murder in a more sinister sense. She sighed and thought for a moment. Was this really something she wanted to do? To be off in the forest with a murderous elf prince so close to home? A light went on in her mind. She smiled brightly and turned to him. By now, Ravi had begun to wander back to the mansion, sulking about not having anyone to play with.

"Home! I have lots of books we could use to find it at home!" she exclaimed. The prince's expression fell at the girl's suggestion. He loathed the idea of being near yet another monstrous human's dwelling. All of them were nothing short of testimonies to their heartless rape of the planet. She clapped once and pointed the way back to the mansion. "Come on, I can get the books we need really quickly. I think I know just the one."

Before the prince could protest, Titania started off into the forest toward her home. He sighed and grasped the hilt of the bokun at his side. He had very little choice. Having his clothing and spear returned would be worth the effort in retrieving the information and then going through with the task. He simply hoped that he would not have to step between the girl and tragedy any more.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Puck peeked his head out through the door and glanced around at the forest beneath him. He was sure he had heard both Nuada and Titania speaking a moment ago. He had covered his ears, shaking madly with fear when he had heard Titania's scream. He felt like passing out shortly before the scream had ended in short lived sobbing. He was sure enough of the fact that the girl was alright, but he still wasn't sure of whether or not it was safe for him to go back out and see about what had happened. As much as he cared for the girl and the prince, he knew that the two had a better chance against a huge tiger than he did. He sniffed carefully, seeing nothing and no one on the forest floor other than the natural greenery. He frowned and inched out onto the topmost stair.

"Your highness?" he asked softly. He waited for a moment, expecting a reply of some kind. Silence came, nothing more. "Your highness?"

((((So far, I have a good number of people here that are reading this story telling me that their favourite new character is Puck. The question then follows, what is a pwca and why the name Puck? Okay; a pwca is a mischevious faerie spirit that is more identifiable as an animal. It's closest magical relative is the boggart, but boggarts are not truly faeries at all, they are closer to spirits than faeries. The two most common forms for pwcas are horses and rabbits probably because of their relations in myths to Andraste and Epona. The horse form pwcas try to get humans to ride them; when the human climbs on they take their life into their own hands. Only a truly courageous human with a pure heart will survive. The rabbit pwcas, on the other hand, are more friendly and curious about humans in their own environments. The film/play Harvey was based on the story of the pwca. Watch it, but be sure to watch the old version with Jimmy Stewart, it's a feel-good movie. Now, the name Puck comes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. You might notice that the names I use for my characters in this story either come from Celtic myth or from Shakespearean works on the magical worlds; Titania and Oberon were names of faerie royalty after all!))))))


	11. The Riddle Glen1st Task

**Chapter 11**

Titania led the way back to the mansion as quickly as she could, making sure the elf was keeping up. He hadn't ventured past the edge of the forest and hadn't been at the angle that looked onto the mansion, either. Even when waiting for Titania and the Morrighan he had always kept to the east. The mansion looked like a small palace that had been pieced together by several lesser kings of humankind. The basic structure was quite Victorian, but each outside wall had some sort of relic that spoke softly of a more ancient setting.

Nadia had purchased the house from a superstitious old man who had hung charms and artwork from various centuries on each different section of the house making the property not only valuable, but odd and heavy as well. One wall had five gargoyles perched in specific positions on a pentagram around a very large, round window. Another had two cherubim statues floating over a raised wooden oak whose roots reached to a fixture on the ground. Yet another wall had a lion standing upright, its mouth open in a silent, toothy roar. Titania had seen the lion spewing water from its mouth when it rained for days. One wall was covered in odd glass birds that had no country in particular. One might have assumed that the birds had perched there one winter's night and had frozen permanently to the house in a matter of hours.

Nuada stared at the strange mansion in awe for a moment. Titania smiled. Her mother had never appreciated the magic of the house as her daughter had. She had contemplated on many occasions, having the oddments removed. It was only after consulting with her accountant and discovering the value that the nick-nacks added to the house that she decided to leave the pieces alone and focus the attention of any dinner parties on the state of the art pool and garden house she had built off to the side. Like any manor in the United Kingdom, the small farmyard off to the other side of the mansion was alive and bustling by the afternoon. The prince could hear clucking chickens and bleating goats as he followed the girl to the door. Before grasping the handle, she turned around and gave him a concerned stare.

"Please, don't hurt anyone while you're here. In fact, if you could try to be invisible or something, that would be great," she said anxiously. The prince frowned disapprovingly. The girl wasn't embarrassed by him, she was needlessly concerned for the worthless mortals that served her family and perhaps her family as well. "Deal?"

"We are far too busy to do anything other than retrieve your books and head back," he said firmly. She nodded with relief and opened the door. Luckily, Magnus appeared to be nowhere in sight and the other servants were not anywhere near the room. She motioned for the elf to follow her quickly as she darted towards the stairway. He looked around the dwelling cautiously, finding himself unable to sneer at the finery that obviously surrounded Titania on a daily basis. _She chooses to be in the forest rather than in this palace_, he thought to himself. _She is more elf than human, perhaps a trapped spirit_. _The Morrighan must know of this and has not yet told me_. "It makes perfect sense," he muttered aloud.

Titania turned to him as they reached her bedroom door. "What does?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said dismissively. He glanced behind them, hearing the presence of two other humans a few doors away. "Hurry up, we are on limited time."

"Alright, your highness, wait here," she instructed as she entered her room silently. She hurried over to the farthest bookcase where she kept the smaller and older volumes of lore and fantasy. She pulled out three books on magical places and riddles and then snatched up the book that she had taken from her father's study. The piece of paper with Abe's writing fell from it as she reached down and picked up her backpack. She shook her head as she placed the books inside the satchel, ignoring the piece of paper for now. It wasn't terribly important to show the prince what the fish-man had written. Besides, who knows what kind of emotional reaction the prince would have if he were reminded of being enchanted. She swung the backpack over her shoulder, wincing as a small twinge of pain stabbed through the limb. The prince had been able to heal the wound to prevent permanent damage and terrible blood-loss, but it still hurt. She walked out of the room as quietly as possible, closing the door behind her. "Come on, I've got everything we need."

"Just how many humans live here?" he asked in confusion. Even in the elf palace, there had been swarms of magical creatures day in and day out whether for purposes of court or simply to keep the palace running. The mansion seemed relatively abandoned by comparison. "Where is your family?"

"I told you, your highness, mom is in Italy and dad is in New Jersey," Titania sighed as she began to hurry down the stairs. "There aren't that many servants here. I like that, it's more quiet and there are less people exploited. I could live with it just being Magnus and Misses Badcrumble, but then it would be a lot of work for them and mom would be at a loss."

"Badcrumble?" Nuada asked with a tone of familiarity. Titania opened her mouth to explain the strange name, but was interrupted by the sound of crashing dishes from the kitchen. She sighed.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered as she hurried towards the kitchen. The two slowed to a halt inches from the enormous kitchen door. Nuada examined the door carefully. Titania could see something sparkling in the elf's eyes that made him look almost comfortable. "Wait here please, your highness, I'll only be a minute."

The prince ignored the girl's instruction and followed after her. She gasped and stood perfectly still in the doorway, the prince doing the same a few inches behind. Ravi had made his way into the kitchen upon arriving home, though not by choice. Titania stared in horror at the sight of the old woman leaning menacingly over the tiger's head with her mouth wide open and ready for the first bite.

"Misses . . ." Titania began to exclaim.

"Badcrumble!" Nuada exclaimed as if having known the name and the face some time before. The old woman stopped in mid bite and turned to the prince and the girl who had just entered the kitchen silently. She straightened, releasing the tiger and stepping away a pace and a half.

"Oh! Your highness!" she said with a low bow. "I knew you was here, just wasn't expecting a visit to me humble kitchen!"

Titania watched in disbelief as Nuada sauntered happily towards the woman with a broad smile on his face. His ochre eyes were positively aglow with joy. Misses Badcrumble smiled as brightly with the start of tears in either eye. Nuada extended both arms to the woman who embraced him for a moment.

"It has been too long, old friend!" he exclaimed. "And what are you doing among humans?"

"Oh, I could never leave the little dearies to theirselves. I just adore the young ones. Not a soul been born, since perhaps Titania there, what appreciates my wares the way you did. The human children weren't allowed to come and see me after the great rift. And I tried everything, even built me a solid gingerbread house, I did!" the old woman said with a sad sigh. "Didn't last past the first winter, though."

"Misses Badcrumble is . . ." Titania stammered from the corner.

"A fragglewump," Nuada explained. "Not that such a thing should matter to you in regard to her credentials. She was the royal baker for all of my life here at home."

"And then after your old dad took you and your sister to the new world in that second war with man, you wandered off into the great unknown all pouting and gloomy without so much as a 'by your leave' for any of the loyals you left behind. You were barely more than a child yourself," Misses Badcrumble said with an air of hostility. Nuada looked at her with an embarrassed guilt forming in his eyes. "And now you've been making trouble for my Titania?" The old woman suddenly brandished her favourite heavy, wooden spoon. Nuada frowned and looked a little afraid at the sight of it. "I ought to string you up by your necessaries for making that lovely cry just the other night. Mourned hopelessly, she did. And what did you do to comfort her?"

"Not a thing until allowing her to come with me today," the prince said quickly. Misses Badcrumble gave him a side-glance and then turned to Titania. "That is not what matters most at the moment. Titania and I need to get to the Riddle Glen."

"And just why should I be helping the likes of you?" the old woman said folding her arms firmly. Nuada was taken aback by the old troll's defiance. "That little crumpet over there's been more respectful of my kitchen, our home, and life in general than you has in the last few centuries. Why, I ask you, would I help you when I'm much more productive in protecting her?"

"Misses Badcrumble, Prince Nuada needs to get home," Titania argued joining them. The cook gave the girl a half smile and turned back to the prince. "He needs to get back to the other elves. Maybe then things will turn around for every magical creature and the planet, the world will be better having someone on the throne."

"And you best be preserving anyone with that thought towards you, highness," the old cook warned waving the spoon at him once more. "Now dearie, you must remember one thing in the world of magic as a human. Keep to mind all the words of all the stories you've ever read or dreamed of reading. All of them have some sort of fact to them somewhere. Now, what do you remember as being the creatures associated with riddles in your fairy stories?"

The first thing that popped into Titania's mind was the sphinx, but then reason shoved it aside seeing as there was a slim if at all possible chance that she would be encountering a sphinx. The next was a cat, but the only cat nearby was Ravi. Her eyes lit up and she spoke softly. "Butterflies," she whispered.

"Butterflies?" Nuada repeated confusedly.

"In _The Last Unicorn_ the unicorn said that butterflies speak and think in riddles and songs. She said that was all their head could hold," the girl explained as a smile crossed her face. The years she had spent enclosed within the pages of numerous books, transporting herself vicariously to other realms were about to pay off in a big way. She furrowed her brow in thought. "But I haven't seen many butterflies in the forest lately. There are always a few, but not many and certainly not while it's cloudy like today."

"You'll find at least one," Misses Badcrumble said with a wink. "Or rather, he'll find you. It's the way of magic dearie, you'll always be given what you need most when you need it most."

"Then we should go back right away," Titania said happily, adjusting the backpack once again. Her gaze drifted to Ravi wandering around in the corner. She frowned and turned back to the woman, suddenly remembering the original emotion she had felt in entering the room as well as what she had first seen. "You were going to eat Ravi?" she asked in disgust. She remembered that fragglewumps saw cats as a delicacy according to one of her faerie manuals. Her face fell into a saddened stare at the woman. "You've been eating my kittens?! Every one of them!"

"Call it a weakness, dearie," the woman said sheepishly. "I promise that the big oaf will not be consumed. Seems a shame to waste a good beastie, but I'll refrain for you, love."

Titania hesitated anxiously. Nuada sighed heavily and grasped her tightly by her unscathed arm, leading her to the door of the kitchen. "Come along, Titania, we have much to do before the day is done," he ordered. Titania followed meekly, feeling a sudden sense of loss, betrayal, and excitement fighting for a place in her heart. She had been reminded of all the kittens and cats lost at the mansion, the harmless old cook had been the one taking them, and yet she still felt ecstatic to some degree that a troll had been working in their kitchen all these years. Nuada pulled her gently to the door leading out to the grounds from the dining room and began to stride quickly back into the forest. Titania did not pull away, but continued to think about what sort of riddles the butterfly would ask and how they would find a butterfly in this weather to begin with.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abe had knocked furiously on Red and Liz's door for at least three minutes before someone answered. He had explained as quickly and thoroughly as possible what had transpired between himself and Nuala. All the while Liz's face grew more and more fierce looking from her friend to her husband. By the end of the explanation, Abe was beginning to think that he would have been better off asking to speak to Red privately. Liz folded her arms and smirked, shaking her head as the scenario in words finished.

"So you just let her blow up and leave? You didn't ask her once how she felt about the whole thing?" Liz asked angrily. Despite knowing that the question was loaded, the man answered timidly.

"Well, no, I was a little emotional," the fish man continued.

"A little emotional? Abe, you've never let something like this get the better of you before! What's the matter with you? Your wife is going to give birth in two days and you're just now thinking about parenthood?" the girl exclaimed. Abe sensed that she, herself was probably feeling neglected and would stand to defend Nuala even if the princess had asked her not to. "Why didn't you use protection, if you weren't ready?!"

"Oh that would have gone over well! Excuse me, your highness, but before we consummate our undying love that brought you back from the grave, I'd like to make sure that you don't receive my seed, bear my children, and have a family with me that you've probably been planning since you were a little girl!" the fish man shouted back just as angrily. Red, having remained silent through the first part of this conversation, inhaled sharply at his friend's sudden outburst of emotion. "Yes, I'm sure that would have made her feel so much better."

"It would have been responsible, Abe. You think you're scared, she's about to become the mother of a child that may not even look like her," Liz retorted. Abe froze and frowned. "Yeah, she's got that to deal with. Tell you what, while she's carrying your baby and _doing all the work_, why don't you just sit here and sort out what you think it's going to take to be a man?!"

Abe started to say something more gentle in reply, but the girl stormed out of the room before he could finish. Red shook his head and walked over to his friend.

"She's feeling a little hormonal," the demon explained. "She got up this morning and started getting mad at me for not being up already and ready to talk to Manning. I told her we had agreed to give him a few days, but then she started in on how I have to be more assertive. She's been going back and forth like this since we got back."

"Nuala is truly terrified, isn't she?" Abe said sadly. Red nodded and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I wish the prince Nuada was here."

"What? Why?" Red asked in shock.

"Because he would kill me for touching his sister and there wouldn't be anything for me to worry about," the man replied. Red groaned and patted his friend with masculine affection. "Oh, I don't wish that at all. I love her. I can't live without her, Red. I didn't know what to do when I thought she was gone. How can something so wonderful turn into something so horribly complicated?"

"Abe, it's people, people are complicated. Just because her ears are pointed doesn't mean she's any different from Liz deep down. Well, maybe she isn't as angry most of the time, but they both have the same wants, needs, and feelings," the demon reasoned. Abe nodded and sighed. "Look, what has you so scared about all this?"

"I just don't want to ruin the life of an innocent being before it has a chance to know just how good life can be. What if I do something terrible, Red, and accidentally neglect him?" Abe said worriedly. Red laughed.

"Abe, come on man, you don't accidentally neglect someone," he said. "The neglect is deliberate even if you weren't aware of it. You just keep checking on yourself, what you're doing and all, every day. Tell him you love him, tell him you're proud of him, tell him he's unique and special and all that and you'll be fine."

"And what do I tell him about becoming a man? What do I do when he comes to me for advice?" he continued. Red shrugged.

"Give it, and if you don't know, do what you always do," the demon said with a wink. His friend looked up at him, pleading silently for the rest of the answer. "Give him a book."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The book says that creatures who speak in riddles don't necessarily need to listen in riddles, so we don't need to worry about that," Titania said as they continued walking slowly through the forest. Nuada glanced back at her, thoroughly irritated. He had been walking with her for nearly an hour and she had not ceased talking. She either read from the book, theorized aloud, or asked him ridiculous questions about the magical realm. "It does say that we'll need to be able to keep a cheery disposition. Creatures who are fond of riddles are fond of laughter and hate hostility of any kind. In fact, it says that people who get angry at them may find themselves cursed."

"Fine, fine, but does it say anything about where we might find the wretched thing?" he said annoyedly. Titania frowned.

"That's probably not the best attitude to have while we're looking for it," she corrected. He turned and glared harshly at her. " . . . your highness."

"This is silly. We are traipsing around possibly the largest enchanted forest left on earth, looking for the most elusive creature in magical existence, with a book written by a human, of all things, as our only guide!" he ranted.

"Bethmoora isn't that big," Titania interjected. "I thought unicorns were the most elusive magical creatures in existence?" He groaned and turned away, forcing away the urge to strike her. "And anyways, if the stuff written in here has fact to it, then someone must have helped the human write it."

"Help is on its way, of course, two of mine and two of yours!" a chirpy voice announced out of nowhere. Nuada and Titania froze, scanning the area carefully. "Come, come, what are they? Help is on its way, of course, two of mine and two of yours!" Nuada jumped backwards, hand firmly on the hilt of the bokun he had placed back on his belt. His dark eyes narrowed as the form of a silvery butterfly fluttered over to Titania and landed on the edge of her open book. She gasped and stared at the creature in awe. It was beautiful. It's entire body and wings were comprised of fine silver with strange markings etched in its wings. Three amethysts served as its eyes. On its antennae were tiny diamonds, or at least what appeared to be diamonds. Titania lowered her face and looked directly into the butterfly's. "What are they?"

"Hands," the girl said quickly. Nuada turned and tilted his head confusedly. How had she answered something so silly in so short a time? "Helping hands."

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"the butterfly exclaimed happily. She beat her silvery wings once in a type of applause for the girl. "You need my help, this I know. I am Fa."

"Fa?" Titania laughed.

"Yes, Fa, _Fa a long, long way to run_!" the butterfly replied in a sing song. Titania smiled brightly, still in amazement that she was talking with a magical butterfly. "Tell me what you seek. I shall say nothing, but I can show you the way!"

"A map!" Titania exclaimed, nearly dropping the book in excitement. "That's a map!"

"Enough of this," Nuada growled. He stood beside Titania and cleared his throat. "Tell us where to find the Riddle Glen and the map to the Faerie Ring."

"Can't you sing it, dears? I have missed the sounds of songs in the forest! Sing!" the butterfly asked, beating her wings enthusiastically. "_Where are you going, my little one, little one . . ._"

Nuada turned away, clenching one fist in agitation. Titania frowned at him, but said nothing about how she felt he was doing a poor job of representing himself as the prince of magical creatures. He was obviously terribly frustrated about getting home and being forced to do so much to get there. The girl leaned closer to the butterfly and sang the reply to the Muffin Man tune she had learned in the forest as a small child.

"_Do you know the Riddle Glen, the Riddle Glen, the Riddle Glen? We need to find the Riddle Glen so the prince can find his home_," she sang. The butterfly squealed in delight.

"Underneath the hidden trees that everybody knows, shout a song of silence to the whippoorwills and crows. Half beneath the forest, and half beyond the sea; come away, come, I say, come away with me!" the butterfly said dramatically. Titania glanced towards the prince, hoping to see that he had some sort of idea as to what the creature was referencing. "If you haven't got a secret, then take a truth to keep! Let's run among the snow drops and wake them all to sleep! Half enclosed in whimsy and half in tragedy; come and play, come, I say, come and play with me!"

"What? How is that supposed to help us? That is not a proper riddle!" the prince stated angrily. The butterfly laughed and flew past continuing to quote the rhyme. Titania watched the creature and looked towards Nuada. "This is utterly useless. I do wish I knew where the other trolls and ogres were, they're so much more succinct and obedient, you know."

"The first part is the tree-house, it must be," she said softly as she began to stare into nothing. Nuada looked down at her, mystified and a little skeptical that she could be decrypting the phrase. "The second sentence doesn't seem to mean anything. I wonder . . ."

"None of it seems to mean anything," he muttered as he began scanning the rest of the forest once again. "That butterfly was no ordinary creature. It must have been tainted by human kind. Did you see how metallic it looked? Yes, man must have warped it somehow."

"The first part is definitely the tree-house. Wait! Maybe every other sentence is what really matters!" she exclaimed. He sighed and gave her a long and harsh stare as she continued to gaze into the horizon. "Okay, the first part is the tree-house so we should start there. Then it says 'half beneath the forest and half beyond the sea' so maybe the Glen is located beneath the forest halfway out to the cliffs over the sea. Let's see, then it says something about secrets and truth. Skip the next line. Then it finishes with something about tragedy and whimsy."

"I do not believe for one minute that a mortal could be computing the ravings of a butterfly in a manner of minutes," the prince said crossing his arms firmly. "How do you know we are to begin at the tree-house?"

"The butterfly said '_underneath the hidden trees_' like boards made of wood, '_that everybody knows_'. You and I and the other forest animals all know about the tree house," she explained as she adjusted the backpack once more. "Come on, there has to be a passageway leading under the tree."

"My dear girl, a glen is like an open meadow," he corrected with a heavy sigh. "How do you expect to find one beneath the forest?"

"Because maybe it isn't just a passageway," she said beginning to smile brightly. "Maybe it's a portal."

"Very well, then," he said and started off towards the tree-house. Titania hurried after him, going over the last two sentences silently. Titania suddenly began to feel a little weak. A wave of nausea came over her as she stood perfectly still. The prince moved towards her. "What is it?"

"I think I might be feeling a little shock, that's all," she replied. She breathed deeply, praying that she hadn't lost much blood at all. The prince had worked quite quickly in stopping the wound from either continuing to bleed or heal naturally. She leaned against a tree and steadied herself. "I'll be fine."

"Then hurry up, we are losing time every moment we stand still," he commanded. Titania frowned at him. He wasn't acting at all like a gracious noble. Perhaps he was simply feeling common anxiety about wanting to get home. She pushed herself away from the tree and headed deeper into the forest beside him. The tree-house was near enough to not make Titania worry about reaching it without passing out. As soon as they were at the base of the tree, she dropped to her knees and gazed carefully at the bark. Nuada watched her, unaware that the real reason for her stance was to have only a short distance to fall if she needed to do so. "Well, do you see anything?"

"Nothing yet," Titania replied as she continued to scan the enormous tree and the soil surrounding it.

"Be quick, it is almost noon," the prince observed looking towards the sky. Titania scowled and looked towards him.

"What about you, your highness?" she said with irritation. If he was going to be a problem, then he should at least be a busy one.

"I am fine, thank you," he replied thoughtlessly. "Alert me when you have found something."

She shook her head and turned back to the tree. The glint of something a few inches away caught her eye. She leaned closer, searching carefully for the bit of metal or shiny rock that might have created the tiny glare. Her heart leapt with joy as she came across the edge of a small handle. Instinctively, she reached out and snatched the shimmering object. Her nerves began to tingle with enthusiasm at the sight of a key with the symbol that was on the cover of her father's book. She stood quickly, brushing the leaves and dirt off of her cape and pants.

"I've got a key!" she shouted excitedly.

"A key?" the prince said as he turned to face her. Titania began hurrying up the stairs ahead of him. The elf groaned and followed. Titania felt another wave of dizziness and slipped backwards. Nuada quickly took her by the shoulders and steadied her. She froze, unsure of whether or not this was something she should immediately thank him for or something she should refrain from drawing attention to at all. The end decision was to simply move forward. "Which door does it go to?"

"The door's not important," she replied as they reached the top of the stairs. Nuada watched in amazement as she slipped the end of the key into the hole over the handle. The door did not lock; he had tried to lock it many times to prevent the girl's return only to find that the keyhole was a ruse. "The key just needs to fit." Titania twisted her wrist, clicking the key to the left. Nuada's pale, pointed ears stood on end as she pushed the door open slowly. A hollow whistling came from the entrance that now stood before them. It appeared dark and damp from the air that wafted back. A long set of stairs leading down into nothing lay where the first level should have been. Titania turned back and gazed excitedly at the elf. She drew in a deep breath and started forward. Nuada caught her firmly by the wrist, preventing her from moving any further. She looked up at him inquisitively.

"I will go first," he said firmly. She nodded and allowed him to pass.

"Won't you need a flashlight or something?" she asked as he began to climb down the stairs casually.

"Elves are above the need of constant light," he called back. After the fourth step, Nuada lost track of where he was walking and where the stairs led. He slipped and began to tumble down the stairs. Titania gasped and reached into her backpack, retrieving a flashlight. She pressed the 'on' switch before hurrying after him. Shining the light around her, she could see that the enormous staircase was, in fact, only about thirty stairs total. She hopped quickly down the stairs to where the prince sat rubbing his head.

"Are you okay?" she asked standing near him.

"I was overly excited, that is all," he replied straightening himself. He looked forward to having his own clothing back as soon as this was done. A few scratches in the outfit that had been made by Ravi were beginning to allow a cool breeze through. He shuddered and started forward. "Light the way, then."

Titania nodded and shone the light ahead of them as they began to walk. After several seconds of eerie silence, Titania felt the opportunity to ask the questions she needed answered, despite what the old cook had said. "So, how many elves are there?"

"Many," was the simple reply he gave.

"Hundreds?"

"Many," was the reply once again.

"Are there elves from different countries just like humans or are you all from one place?" The prince glanced at her and shook his head as they continued walking. She sighed and continued. "What about creatures like Misses Badcrumble? Why aren't there other magical creatures everywhere if this is an enchanted forest?"

"They fear man," Nuada said sternly.

Titania nodded in agreement and hurried beside him. She filled several more minutes with questions, only extracting a single-word answer from the prince every so often. It was frustrating for the girl, but all the more irritating for the elf who was trying desperately to listen to their surroundings. It was too quiet for him. He hated being anywhere with total silence.

"When you were alive before, did you live here or in a palace somewhere?"

"Both," was the simple reply.

"How did your mother and father rule over the magical creatures while you were at home?"

"Well," was the simple reply.

"Wait! You were in exile, right? Where did you go?"

"Away," was the simple and agitated reply.

"You didn't live out in the middle of nowhere did you?" she asked. He groaned and tried to ignore her voice. It was the only sound other than their footsteps and breathing. "What did your family do while you were gone? How did you get the news your father had died while you were away? Did you have a vision or something?"

"_**I KILLED HIM**_!" the prince shouted facing her fully. Titania froze and stared at the prince in astonishment. He growled and turned back to the other end of the passageway. "I was angry and he had ordered his men to kill me. I did them in first and then went to retrieve something from him. I was unable to stop my sword. It was for the best." Titania stood perfectly still, truly considering leaving the prince in the tunnel and locking it furiously on her way out. He sighed heavily, fighting back any treacherous emotions from taking over at the moment. "Do you have any other pertinent questions, or can we have a few moments to reflect on our surroundings?" Titania shook her head very slowly. "Good, onward then."

The tunnel went on for what seemed like hours in utter darkness. The flashlight began to grow dim. Titania's heart began to race. She was going to be caught in an endless subterranean cave with a patricidal murderer. She stopped and began quivering madly, unable to think clearly. Nuada turned, more irritated than ever. His expression switched to genuine concern as he felt the change in her breath. He growled and moved towards her. Titania now saw the ferocity in his appearance that she had overlooked before. His dark eyes were angry, hateful in fact. His lips were twisted into a monstrous snarl. She turned to hurry in the other direction, suddenly afraid of her companion. The prince growled more loudly and moved after her more quickly. Titania shrieked and tried to break into a full run, finding herself tumbling to the ground. Nuada stormed over to her and seized her by the elbow, lifting her harshly. He was startled as she struggled with him.

"Stop this at once," he ordered. Titania began shaking madly. "Whatever it is that has frightened you, it cannot be seen clearly in the dark and there is no reason to fear it."

"Let me go! I want out, now!" she cried. Nuada stared at the girl in shock as she began crying. "Please just let me go!"

"You were horribly insistent upon helping me find this, now pull yourself together and come on!" he demanded more firmly, not willing to let go of her arm. She dropped to her knees trembling, bringing the prince's posture forward a few inches. He grunted. "Titania!"

"Don't kill me! Please, please just let me go!" she cried. He suddenly caught the scent of salt and rushing water. The ocean was not far. The entrance to the glen couldn't have been far, either. He tried to lift the girl angrily once again. "No! No! Please let me go!"

"Stop this nonsense, Titania, I am not going to kill you!" he shouted. The girl began weeping, staring at him in terror. The prince as at a total loss as to what he should say to get the girl back on her feet and back to her senses. She reached up and grasped her brow tightly, still shaking terribly. He sighed and knelt, trying to get a better look into her eyes. Perhaps he could command her silently to be calm. She began sobbing loudly and curling into a protective heap. He found it too difficult to keep his grip on her elbow.

As he let go, he drew her closer to him, thinking that perhaps comforting her as a child would help. Puck had told him to think of her more as a child than a human. He pulled the shivering girl into his arms awkwardly. He had never embraced a human like this at all, quite deliberately. He had wanted her to be frightened of him, but now he needed her to be as somber as any other faithful servant. Unfortunately, the reactions he wanted from her were turning out to be delayed. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms firmly around her to try and stave off the shaking. "Calm down," he said firmly. She sobbed heavily and began to grow more still. "Gather your senses and center yourself."

"You killed your own father," she whispered in horror. The prince felt the stab of Nuala's dagger at his heart once again. The memory of reaching forward to try and save his father after he had realized that the blow was fatal came rushing back to him. His pale hand had seemed so fragile, so useless when reaching out to the old king's face to stop the transformation. A surge of anger and sadness suddenly met him, forcing tears to the rims of his eyes. "You killed your own father!"

"I did not mean to," he said firmly, beginning to feel a heaviness in his voice. He sobbed slightly, allowing a small amount of the emotion to run freely so as to control it. As soon as the first hot tear had rolled from his right eye, he found himself unable. "I did not want to."

"Then why did you have your sword out in the first place?!" she wailed trying to pull away. The elf kept a death grip around her, leaning his cheek against the side of her head to hide his expression from her in a feigned act of concern. "Why even have it out?"

"It was not my sword, I was unarmed, I was . . ." he stammered. "He ordered them to kill me. I was only defending myself. I took their blades and turned them on their masters. I just wanted the crown to be whole again, that was all. I just wanted his piece. I wanted our people to be free once again! I _never _meant to do him harm!"

Titania began to relax at the sincerity in the elf's words as his voice began trembling. She tried to pull away a little and look into his eyes to confirm the remorse he was exhibiting vocally. She felt her fear hovering as he continued to grip her tightly, now moving one hand firmly to the back of her head and leaning over her shoulder. She felt warm liquid drip slightly onto her back. She shivered and breathed deeply, realizing that the elf was mourning his father's death. She froze and began to place her arms around him. He allowed this for a moment, breathing deeply as a few more tears fell. When Titania had a full embrace around the elf in return, the prince came back to his senses and took hold of anger in the place of the sadness. He pushed the girl away, staring firmly into her face. Titania noted that the ferocity had dwindled with the presence of tears.

"The entrance is not far," he said firmly. She nodded. "I can smell the sea."

"Do you see a door?" she asked, trying to take command of a more calm voice herself. The flashlight began to blink. She gasped. Nuada frowned and urged himself to look more carefully and quickly to find the door. He smiled as his eyes met with the large round symbol of the Bethmoora Clan not far from them. Titania must not have seen it in her fit. He reached forward and grasped the central portion of the symbol, pulling the bronze father tree towards him. The passageway went completely black as the flashlight gave out. Titania shrieked as light suddenly began to fill the tunnel. Nuada shielded his eyes for a moment as the two allowed the brightness to settle over their eyes. The elf turned and carefully took hold of the girl's hand. They moved cautiously through the round doorway. Titania felt the cold, hard ground give way to soft, warm grass as they walked. Nuada's pale skin glowed even more brightly beneath the sun. Titania looked around carefully. It must have been the sun, although she couldn't tell where exactly they were.

"It is splendid," the prince said closing his eyes softly. "I have missed it so."

"You've been here before?" she asked timidly.

"As a boy, but I was quite unaware of how my mother brought my sister and I here," he said smiling. He looked around the meadow slowly as Titania took in their surroundings. There were no trees for what seemed like miles, only an eternity of rolling green dappled with wild flowers. She felt a soft breeze blow past. "It has been ages since I have seen this place!"

"It's wonderful," Titania whispered as she felt a full calm settling over her. "This looks like something from a dream."

"I learned how to jump great distances right over there," the prince said excitedly pointing at a patch of blue 'forget me not's. "And right there, my sister and I caught a firefly and it told us how rainbows are truly made." Titania ignored the prince's excited reminiscing and began looking around the meadow for signs of whatever could contain the map. There must have been a statue, a large plant, a rock, or something that would serve as the next part of the riddle. "Over there, my sister and I found a fallen star and gave it a proper burial. She was horribly sad for days at seeing it fade, but I had been so delighted at watching it fall. I begged her to give it a name with me. Strange, was it not?"

"That's where the map is!" Titania exclaimed turning to face him. He looked towards the girl, questioning her reasoning. She smiled. "_Half enclosed in whimsy_, you were delighted, _and half in tragedy_, she was saddened!"

"Ah, but that was the very last of the rhyme," Nuada countered, still vaguely remembering that there had been a line talking about secrets and truths. Titania began wandering towards where the prince had most recently been pointing as he relived a pleasant portion of his childhood. He followed after her, still not sure that she had understood the rest of the riddle. "Titania, what about taking a secret and having truth?"

"You have it mixed up; it was _if you haven't got a secret then take a truth to keep_," Titania corrected as she began looking carefully around the greenery. This section of the meadow looked like the rest of the glen. How could the elf be sure that this was exactly where the star had fallen, or been buried, or what have you? She huffed and lowered herself to the ground again. "Anyway, that was more like a prediction, I think. It was just another portion of the tunnel to pass through."

"What do you mean?" the elf asked, standing over the girl as she began looking carefully on the ground on her hands and knees. "Did you see something on the wall as we passed?"

"Hmmmm, no," she muttered. "It was your confession and everything. You knew about it, and since others knew about it, wasn't really a secret, but you told me and gave me the truth to keep."

"Oh," he said softly.

Titania gasped and stopped moving. Nuada glanced down, watching her reach out slowly towards something lying in the grass. There was a large glass plate with a silver and gold star painted on the surface. She reached down and carefully picked up the plate, revealing a small indentation in the earth. Nuada knelt and reached in, covering his hand in the earth as he felt for something. His fingers grazed the outline of a cylinder like the one containing the location of the Golden Army. His heart skipped a beat as he withdrew it. His stomach turned as he held it aloft and saw that it was the very same cylinder. He dropped it and backed away, willing it to disappear instantly. Titania picked up the cylinder and felt around the edges carefully for a hinge. The top end slid off slightly. The girl smiled and looked inside. There was a small piece of parchment rolled up in a scroll. She withdrew it and set the cylinder on the ground, unfolding the paper carefully. She frowned.

"It's blank," she said.

Nuada walked back to her and swiftly snatched up the paper, holding it to the sun for a better look. To his dismay, the girl was right. There was nothing written on the paper. He sighed and set it back in her hand as she stood. Why were all the maps and important scrolls always blank to begin with? The two looked around the glen silently for a few moments more, wondering what they should do next. Was this the map?

"Oh, good! You found your way!" a female voice cried happily from a distance away. Titania began to turn around and around, looking into the sky for the voice. Nuada did the same, barely recognizing the melodic sound. "I knew you would! The Morrighan told me you'd be here three days ago, though."

"Show yourself!" Nuada demanded, moving closer to Titania defensively. The harp-like voice laughed as a flash of soft green and blue moved past them. The two turned and watched as an odd shape of pastels churned silently, taking the form of a beautiful young woman. The woman had light red hair with a gown of pale green, a cloak of soft blue, and pink flowers swirling around baby's breath lining her hair. Her eyes were crystalline hazel and her skin was almost as pale as the elf's. Titania stared in amazement as Nuada recognized her. "The Clionatha."

"You have grown so beautifully, precious Silverlance," she replied smiling. "Your mother always said that you'd come back here when you were in need; it was the only place you were really happy."

"What are you doing in the Riddle Glen?" he asked. She laughed and strode towards them.

"I come and go where I please, especially where healing is needed," she said reaching out and softly stroking Titania's face. "What a lovely child you were, Titania Manning. And what a graceful woman you're becoming."

"You really knew about this place?" Titania asked turning towards the prince. He sighed and looked away.

"Try to remember that I was taken across the sea when I was about the age of eight in the reckoning of human years," the prince replied. He turned to the Clionatha again with a kind smile. "I suppose I have forgotten more than I thought I had."

"Indeed, but that is no reason for you to be so belligerent. You must find your way to the Faerie Ring, Nuada," the sorceress said firmly as song birds began to circle her, appearing out of nowhere. "King Oberon seeks to do more harm to the realm of all than you had ever dreamed of doing to the realm of men, and for less noble reasons. You are the last of the Bethmoora clan with the will and knowledge to defend the throne."

Nuada looked away, feeling that the woman had confirmed yet again the fact that Nuala was gone. He sighed heavily and turned back to her. "On my life, Clionatha, I will return to our people and restore us to our ancient glory."

"Seek the peace of our elders, Nuada, and defend it. Do not concentrate on something as flimsy as glory," she corrected. The prince nodded slightly and watched as the woman pulled a large bundle from behind her. The prince's heart leapt at recognizing at least two of his royal ensembles. He raced forward and accepted them. Titania watched as the woman reached towards the ground and summoned two weapons out of nowhere. Nuada took hold of them one at a time, adding each to the bokun on his belt. The belt looked like it had reached its limit, but the prince's gait did not change as he walked back to the girl. "I am so glad you have found your way back, my prince. The next task will not be so easy. In the quarry that lies beyond the other end of the forest, you will find the Gnome King. He has the compass that will allow you to read the map. Be cautious, he serves Oberon with great zeal."

"I will not fail," Nuada said looking excitedly at the clothing. He smiled as the woman stepped backwards, her cloak and clothing shifting into the breeze. Titania moved forward a little as the woman disappeared, humming sweetly. "Now to find our way back."

A small song bird that seemed to be glowing as brightly as the sun flew past them and perched on the opened edge of the round door. Nuada smiled. The sisterhood took care of their own, at least, most of them did. He began walking quickly back to the door, fighting the urge to undress and redress immediately. Titania followed, still staring around the meadow in wonderment. She sighed sadly as Nuada took her by the arm and led her back into the passageway. The door closed with a heavy thud as they stepped back into the dark tunnel. The song bird glowed brightly, chirping like a flute as it began to hop along the floor. The two followed silently. There had been such anger and sadness only moments before the glen had been revealed. It was almost uncomfortable. The prince climbed the staircase, turning and watching for Titania to do the same safely.

The girl climbed up the stairs behind him, both of them bidding the bird good-bye and thank you. She turned and slowly began walking down the stairs away from the tree-house, taking the key with her. Nuada closed the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment as all of the rekindled memories began settling within him once again. He joined the girl a few moments later, setting the clothes and heavy weapons on the second stair. Titania stood silently in the middle of the clearing for a moment, still quite confused about the afternoon. She looked up at the sky. It was well after noon, now. It must have been very close to sunset.

"I suppose you will be back tomorrow to face the Gnome King," Nuada said inching closer to her. She had been terrified in the tunnel and now appeared to still be recovering from the whole ordeal. He had to admit now that she was very different from the average human. She was intelligent and clever, at least. "The task of retrieving the compass will not be nearly as neat and happy as the trick in retrieving the map."

"I know a little bit about gnomes," Titania said softly. She turned back to Nuada and gave a weak smile. "I'm sorry I freaked out like that. What's in the past is in the past, right? You haven't hurt me, well, not on purpose. I don't think you'd kill me."

"I do not have the energy," he laughed. Titania forced a more believable smile as the prince began looking with interest at something behind her. He moved past her to a grouping of flowers at the base of a nearby tree. He said nothing as he slowly moved towards it, reaching one hand towards a vine starting to creep around the trunk. His eyes widened with joy as he saw something more magnificent than the glen. On the vine, was a small green bulb pulsing ever so softly. Nuada reached forward and softly touched the small green orb descending from the branch. His breath began to quiver as he filled with excitement. This was something he had not seen in years. He turned quickly to Titania, brimming with joy so blatant that his smile was this time untouched by the darkness that surrounded it physically.

"Titania, come and see this," he said. The girl stepped forward and looked carefully at what the prince was trying to show her. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The touch was so sudden and unexpected, that the girl leapt backwards as if having been burned. Nuada glanced back at her as she steadied herself and leaned even closer. The girl's eyes narrowed at the green glowing orb, then widened once again as she felt both of the prince's hands on her shoulders. "Do you see it? Do you see the seed of life?"

"Sire, you've returned!" Puck shouted as he leapt down the stairs towards the two. He stopped and waited silently as the display continued.

"Is that what it's called?" she asked pensively. She had never seen anything like it. It appeared to be a gel filled bean of pure green energy. She tensed as she felt the prince's hand under her right wrist. He guided her hand forward until it reached the orb.

"Go ahead, tell me what you feel," he instructed. Titania felt completely taken aback by his sudden gentleness. He was not demanding or debasing, he was sharing something important. As the centre of her palm grazed the bean, she gasped. She could feel a faint fluttering within the orb as if some tiny heart was beating inside it. She jerked her hand backwards, smiling at both the feel of the orb and the fact that he had not let go of her wrist yet. "Did you feel it? Did you feel the pulse?"

"Yes," she whispered softly.

"This is marvelous!" he shouted happily. Without warning, the elf threw his arms around the girl and embraced her tightly. Titania would have been shocked enough by that act alone, but the prince then began twirling for a moment, spinning with the glee of a child given the news that Christmas was on its way. He set her back on the ground afterwards. "Do you know what this means?"

Titania stood perfectly still, trying to concoct an answer that involved a complete sentence and not a series of shrieks and sighs. She pulled a lock of hair that had come loose away from her face and cleared her throat. "There's something new growing in the forest?"

"No, silly girl, the forest spirits are returning! The elementals are being reborn! There is yet hope for my world!" he said with greater intensity, placing both hands on her shoulders as he faced her. Titania tensed once again, staring at him in bewilderment. The prince frowned, noting that the girl was not sharing in the joy of his revelation. He removed his hands and took a step backward, looking at the girl firmly. "Are you disappointed at the renewal of my people?"

"No, it isn't that, it's just . . ." she said trailing off in thought. She grasped her shoulders anxiously and tried to think of a graceful way out of the situation. After hundreds of alternatives given in a minute's time, Titania thought it best to simply let the entire event slip away. She nodded to him. "I-I have to go now, you highness." She gave a quick bow and then hurried off towards the mansion. Nuada watched her pace with even greater confusion. He looked down at Puck for a moment, who sat looking very unimpressed.

"What strange behaviour," the prince commented. Puck looked to the side, rolling his eyes in irritation for another being overlooking the obvious.

"Of course, sire, _she_ is the one acting strangely," the pwca said with a yawn.

(((((Thank you to everyone for their support, ideas, and comments thus far. Yes, Nuada will get the chance to thoroughly whoop up on his aunt, no worries there! Also, I would like to pose this question as it came up in the gaming group; who would win in a duel, Nuada or Legolas? The answers that two of us gave will be posted with the next chapter.))))


	12. Into the Forest

**Chapter 12**

Abe had tried all afternoon to locate Nuala without success of any kind. By the evening, he had begun to feel more desperate than he had at holding her lifeless form. This time it was his fault that she was nowhere to be found. He continued the search until the sky grew thick with stars and midnight was only a few moments away. He slunk back into the library and leaned against the wall of the tank. Where could she have gone? Would she have left after one argument? _If you could call that an argument, it was more like an attack_, he told himself. He sighed. It was difficult to hide anything from a woman, but even harder to hide something from a woman with the power to read minds quite directly. He shook his head and felt the need to cry once again.

He suddenly heard a soft thump behind him. He turned, glancing around hopefully for Nuala. His heart fluttered as he saw the princess standing in front of his collection of music.

"Princess," Abe said softly. The elf dropped two of the compact discs and turned to him, grasping a third tightly and looking down sheepishly. "I thought perhaps that you had . . ."

"I am sorry I left without resolving my emotions, Abraham," she said softly. The man hurried over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She drew in a deep breath. "I spoke with Elizabeth, Liz, for a few moments. She seems very unsettled, very frightened about motherhood."

"Well, it is something monumental," Abe said, trying to sound as empathetic as he hoped to become. "It changes everything forever, or , so I understand."

"I do not want to be angry, Abraham," she said with her voice beginning to tremble. He stared at her in confusion, trying to read without intruding, what was going on in her mind. "I do not want to feel the way my brother felt; hate."

Abe pulled her close to him as she began sobbing. He thought for a moment. Things were moving quite swiftly for her. As a being that aged slowly, she had seen thousands of years pass on with small things happening over centuries. In one week, the princess had been bombarded by the death of her father, the return and demands of her brother, the death of the two of them, her own rebirth, a marriage, and now to think of becoming a mother. She must have been more frustrated and anxious than anyone in the compound. She folded into him, clinging to his bare, blue arms tightly as she released all the tears she could.

"You are the kindest person I have ever met," he soothed. "I don't think I've ever seen you angry. Even when we met you were firm, but unsure. I don't think it's in you to even raise your voice."

"Everything has changed," she whispered. He nodded, continuing to hold onto her, willing time to stand perfectly still for them. "I am very frightened. I do not know that I can do for my child what my mother did for me."

"But you aren't your mother," Abe countered, pulling away to look into her amber eyes. Nuala stared back at him in slight confusion. She smiled. "You can't compare yourself to someone else, that's not fair. I love you, not your mother."

"I am very glad that I met you, Abraham," she said looking away with a broad smile. She breathed deeply and quickly placed her hand over her belly. Abe looked down, noticing for the first time that she appeared a little more than swollen. He stared in awe at the sight of his wife obviously carrying his child. She reached out and took his right hand, placing it gently beside her own. He gasped. Not only could he feel movement, within he could see the outline of a tiny person; a head, two spindly arms, two folded legs, and a very small body. The baby shifted, turning its head to look directly at his father's hand. Abe smiled brightly as he saw the infant reach its hand out and pressed it against his mother at their hands. Nuala watched as he carefully took his hand away and placed it on her cheek. "He knows you, he will be here tomorrow."

"Do you have an idea for a name?" Abe asked with suppressed excitement. Nuala grinned and withdrew the compact disc she had been holding. He glanced down, carefully taking the disc as he read the title. "The New York Philharmonic presents selections from the Baroque lead by Leopold Stokowski?"

"When I was speaking with Liz, she showed me this," Nuala said reaching into her sash and withdrawing a small card. It had been no small task in sending Red to the troll market to retrieve proper clothing for her. Luckily, the remainder of the elves often bought cloth and accessories from merchants that traveled along the path of the troll market; such merchants gladly learned patterns and were willing to sell a few garments for a reasonable price. Abe looked down at the card, recognizing the artwork of the Rider Waite deck of Tarot cards almost immediately. "I felt so drawn to this one."

"Strength," Abe said aloud. He looked closely at the card, trying to remember the divination associated with it. "It means power and courage, doesn't it?"

"Yes," she said softly, taking the card from him once again. "I do so like the illustration; lions are such interesting creatures. They are among the most fearsome creatures on earth yet they lie sleeping for the majority of their lives, very much at peace. Their strength is legendary, though. She tells me that the name Leopold means; lion's strength."

"In a manner," Abe replied setting the disc to the side.

"It will do nicely as his first name," she replied stroking her hand softly over the child's form. "As a prince, he will need to have his father's names as well."

"I wouldn't wish that for anyone," Abe replied with a laugh. Nuala shook her head.

"I have already decided. It will be Leopold Abraham Sebastian Balor Ludwig Nuada Sapien." She sighed, looking at her husband with a renewed happiness and confidence. "Do you like it?"

"So many names," Abe said softly. He glanced from his wife to the door. He suddenly noticed her frowning and gripping her belly tightly. He froze. "Nuala, are you alright?"

"It will not be long," she said breathing heavily. Abe moved quickly towards her, making sure that she was not going to deliver immediately. "We have enough time to sleep."

"It will be the last time for a long while from what I understand," Abe said with a smirk. Nuala stared at him in confusion as he began leading them out of the room. There was a bedroom that had been offered to the princess upon arriving that he knew would be close enough to the library if he needed to be back in the water quickly. For the time being, he did not want to be even a hair's breadth away from his wife.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titania smiled in her sleep as Ravi wandered over to the bed. Magnus has been unable to keep the tiger as well contained as he had hoped. The butler hurried after the tiger, entering Titania's room quietly. He was not, as a very stern rule, used to going into the girl's room whether she was home or not. He moved as silently as possible trying to take hold of the larger, thicker collar he had placed around the tiger's neck when finding that it had returned home. He missed, pushing away the need to shout an obscenity. Ravi placed both enormous paws on the side of her bed, licking the side of her face playfully. Magnus reached out to the tiger's collar once again as Titania giggled and scooted away from the animal.

"Oh, Prince Nuada," she sighed with a giddy smile, thoughtlessly in her sleep. Magnus gasped and felt total shock consume him.

"Prince who?!" the butler shrieked. Titania felt the dream she had been enjoying burst at the butler's voice. She turned and gasped at the sight of Magnus gripping Ravi's collar and staring at the girl in disbelief. She pulled the covers up to her neck and looked down in embarrassment. "Just who were you dreaming about, Titania?!"

"No one," she muttered softly. Magnus sighed heavily and began dragging Ravi forcefully out of the room.

"You should come down for breakfast as soon as possible," he said in an almost squeaky tone. Titania could detect more than bewilderment in the man's voice, there was definite agitation. The butler called over his shoulder as he hurried down the stairs. "Misses Badcrumble has breakfast prepared and you have a visitor."

"I'll be down in a minute," Titania replied as loudly as she could manage. She smacked herself angrily on the forehead. She had been dreaming about the prince, romping happily through the forest and sharing different stories. She shouldn't be dreaming about him, she shouldn't even be thinking about anything other than helping him find his way home and, perhaps, answering the questions she still had about the magical world. She found it hard not to think of him when her mind had time to wander freely; his amber eyes, golden white hair, his broad pale shoulders glistening in the sunlight. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," she groaned to herself. "He's not even that charming of a guy; he's not even a guy!"

"Titania?" Misses Badcrumble called from the bottom of the stairs as the girl pulled on her bathrobe. Titania frowned.

"Just a minute!" she shouted back.

She sighed heavily, wondering what was going on. Magnus rarely came and told her to come to breakfast and Misses Badcrumble rarely left the kitchen. Then again, Titania had always been sure to set her alarm to go off as early as possible so as to be up when everyone else was getting ready for the day. She froze. Her alarm! She had entirely forgotten to set it! She heaved a sigh and threw the bathrobe to the side as she glanced at the clock. It was already nine. She quickly pulled on the jeans and a long white turtle neck. The air was beginning to grow colder every day as autumn neared. She threw open the closet doors and yanked out a long, plaid cowl.

Nadia had said that her mother's family had been from Skye, an island off the coast of the highlands. Her family's colours had been very important and, before her death, she had entrusted all of her books of old tales and the cloak of the family tartan to Titania. The girl felt very connected to the wonder of the ancient island when wearing it. She decided to wear the thick black boots she kept by the backmost door. If they were going to head into a quarry, then she would need more protection when walking than her sandals or the softer boots from the day before. As she began sliding down the banister, she gripped the wood and halted herself for a moment.

"How are we going to get to the other side of the forest? That has to be at least eight hours away!" she asked herself aloud. Titania thought about this for a moment. Bethmoora may not have been that big, but it was big enough to make the breadth of it a day's journey now that she had slept in. She sighed and continued down the banister as quickly as possible. The final thoughts of the dream slipped into her mind as she reached the bottom of the rail. She smiled and giggled slightly at the thought of being so free and happy. She hopped off of the end of the banister and spread her arms, whirling around once. Titania's happy expression froze as she gasped and stood in place.

"Good morning, Titania," Nuada said. He stood motionlessly with his arms folded, staring at her in slight amusement. Titania breathed deeply and bowed cautiously as he took one step towards the banister, examining it carefully. "Is that an alternate use of the stairs, or something exclusive for human girls?"

"Neither, your highness," she muttered, bowing again. "I, well, we should probably get going."

"Not before breakfast, either of you!" Misses Badcrumble called from the other room. Titania turned to the prince, silently asking if the woman's hearing had always been so keen.

"She could hear me making faces as a boy, there is no explanation," he said dismissively. He motioned for them to move on into the dining room. The girl nodded and hurried ahead, not wanting to concentrate on how she had just embarrassed herself twice in once morning. She sighed heavily as she sat down at the table, leaning her forehead into her hands with her elbows resting on the table. The prince entered the room seconds later, sitting fluidly at the first chair and glancing at the girl in concern. He leaned one elbow on the table as well, resting his chin against the back of his hand. "Are you ill?"

"No, your highness," she replied softly.

"Manners, both of you," Misses Badcrumble said firmly as she hurried into the room with two plates. "You're in the presence of high royalty lassie," the cook said laying a plate of pastries in front of her. Titania quickly sat upright and set her arms politely away from the table's edge. Nuada smirked as Titania looked at her plate in focused shamefacedness. Misses Badcrumble moved silently behind the prince, setting a similar plate in front of him while smacking the back of his head harshly. "And you, you're not in exile any longer. Act to command respect."

He huffed as quietly as possible, not wanting to upset the old troll. The prince immediately did as the girl had done, sitting upright with arms away from the table. Titania now smirked, entirely amused that the hardened warrior was still afraid of the old cook with the wooden spoon. He gave her a sharp look before the two commenced to finishing their meal in silence.

"We will have to stay for one night in the forest," Nuada announced firmly. Titania looked up from the English cream tart and stared at him, wide eyed and uncertain. "It will be at least a day's journey to the edge of the edge of the forest, at least. Then it is a matter of reaching the quarry, entering, and conquering all obstacles necessary to retrieve the compass from the gnome king. Only with the compass can I read the map."

"You won't be reading the map, Titania will," Misses Badcrumble interjected as she began taking the almost empty plates away from the table. She hurried out of the room, muttering about how little the prince had listened to his elders including the Morrighan. He watched her, confused and irritated at the woman not only knowing more about the tasks than he had allowed her, but also bringing up yet another portion of his youth without permission. Titania turned to him and forced a smile.

"I suppose we should be off, then," Nuada said looking towards the door. Titania nodded quickly as she pushed away from the table to follow him.

"Not without provisions!" Misses Badcrumble shouted from the kitchen. Nuada frowned and turned back to Titania. He suddenly noticed that the surprised manservant that had answered the door (this he knew because he had asked the man if he were Titania's father before introducing himself) now stood behind the girl glaring at the elf with disapproval. The old woman hurried back into the room brandishing an enormous basket that looked more like it had been fashioned to carry a patient to a hospital than to carry supplies. "Come along, Puck!"

"Puck?" Titania said as she began to look around for the pwca. Sure enough, the pwca tumbled in from the kitchen, spitting the remnants of a carrot to the side while still in a more human form. He hurried up to the cook, taking the basket and then turning to Titania.

"Where are your things?" he asked breathlessly.

"Oh, I haven't packed yet," she said rubbing her arm anxiously.

"Then do so quickly, we are already behind because of your extended rest," Nuada said urgently. He cried out in pain as Misses Badcrumble's hand met with the back of his head yet again. He turned to the woman enraged. "Do not strike me again."

"I'll take that as your promise not to pop off at that little girl any further. You've upset her enough for one lifetime," the troll said firmly.

Nuada grumbled softly to himself once more and motioned for Titania to hurry. The girl nodded and sped off towards the stairs. He moved to follow her, finding himself caught by the arm. He turned and stared harshly at the butler who shook his head slowly at the prince. The already irritated elf carefully grasped the man's hand and removed it. The butler cleared his throat, remaining unmoving as the prince watched the stairwell. Puck shifted and watched the prince begin to pace back and forth.

Titania quickly filled her backpack with a few necessaries; a brush, a handful of hair bands, a small first aid kit, the flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a book entitled _The Return to Oz_. She remembered having read a part of the story involving the gnome king some years ago, but these fantasies held little for her by comparison to those that incorporated more traditional myths and legends. She placed a few other books in the pack with odds and ends that she usually kept in her purse and hurried back down the stairs. Thinking about the start of the day, she decided quickly against sliding down the banister. She nearly tumbled down the stairs twice as she raced back into the dining room. Magnus was speaking quietly to Misses Badcrumble, but loud enough so that the prince and the girl could both hear him.

"The madam would not be pleased to know about this," he said emphatically. The cook raised her hand to signal for silence. "I don't trust this fellow, at all. It troubles me greatly, Agatha, truly."

"Then wait by the window until we return," Nuada interjected more loudly. The butler sneered at him, giving him a final glare of disapproval. Titania joined them, straightening her cloak as Puck took the backpack from her. He slipped it onto his furry back, holding the huge basket in front. Titania felt bad using him as a pack animal, but felt it best not argue anything in front of the prince at the moment. He seemed irritated that they had not started the day earlier and that he had been forced to spend several minutes in a human dwelling being civil. He was a wild spirit, not meant for the finery he was obviously expected to hold in reverence. "Come, Titania. We must cover as much ground as possible."

"Okay," she said hurrying to give Magnus and Misses Badcrumble a goodbye hug. The old cook embraced her tightly. "I guess we'll be back in a day or so."

"You're awfully brave to do this, love," the woman said with tears in her eyes. She sniffed and straightened, taking hold of the girl's shoulders as she looked her over. "Now, be careful walking into the gnome's fortress, they have innumerable traps to snare the enemy and learn things to use against them. Be sure to tie back your hair, free flowing hair is a delicacy for them and they'll latch on til' they've eaten to the root." Titania gulped and put a hand protectively around one of her dark, winding locks. "Mind you let yourself get too angry or too sad around them, it helps them mix their curses. Be mindful of Prince Nuada and don't wander into any mushroom rings."

Titania nodded. "I won't, I will, I mean," she stammered.

Nuada moved forward and took the girl firmly by the arm. "We must be going, now," he said commandingly as he led the way to the door. Titania and the two servants continued to shout goodbyes and promises to one another as the elf, the human, and the pwca headed out onto the grounds. Titania looked up at him, noticing the staunch determination that was as plain on the prince's face as the strange scar. The girl had been tempted to ask him how he had acquired such a marking, but felt it best to gage his reaction to other personal questions first. He hadn't been as gentle and forthcoming with other information about either himself or his people unless saying something to intimidate or debase her. She sighed heavily as they headed into the woods. "Be on your guard, Titania Manning," he said proudly. "We head into the heart of one of the more foul regions of the magical realm."

"Is the Gnome King really that evil?" she asked as they stepped past the first few trees.

Nuada frowned. "My father told me stories," he said with a shudder. Titania watched as a trace of sadness washed over the prince's face. "My mother comforted me afterwards."

((((Okay, here are the two possible outcomes that our group came up with for the duel mentioned in the notes at the end of last chapter; 1). Legolas allows Nuada to think he's won and waits to fire an arrow at him until his back is turned, Legolas watches as Nuada makes an incredible display with his spear then casually fires one arrow into the prince's shoulder- Legolas wins/ or/ 2). Legolas tries his best but cannot seem to move as quickly or precisely as the prince who has an array of hand to hand weapons (which he used at the beginning of the fight to destroy pretty-boy's bow), Nuada throws down his weapons and fights Legolas hand to hand, still winning out since he has the advantage of more incredible physical strength and training. Sorry, Legolas, but it looks like the fight should definitely go to Nuada, real elves fight with swords.))))))


	13. A Night Together A New Birth

**Chapter 13**

Red woke early the next morning, hoping to have a little tidying up done before Liz noticed that he had left the bed. He glanced down as she stretched and shifted, but to his relief she did not fully wake. He smiled and looked around at what to do first. The numerous cats that lounged around the apartment gazed in confusion at the demon as he began to fill a large rubbish bin with old objects. Occasionally, he would stop to look at one of the oddments longingly. After filling the bag that lined the bin to its edge with old nick nacks from years past, he sighed heavily and pulled the bag as quietly as he could from the bin, tying the massive horde of junk awkwardly. It was an even harder task to get the bag to the door without making much sound.

He thought to himself about the advice he had given Abe and Liz's emotional outbursts that were getting more intense by the day. One minute the woman would be angry and frustrated, then inconsolably sad, then cuddly and tender. He was worried about developing vertigo of the mind with all of the twists and turns that his marriage was taking. Soon, he would have more than Liz and the Bureau to occupy his time; he would have children in a few months. Abe had discovered the unborn bundles of joy only recently, but the facility's obstetrician said that she was already two months along.

"Red?" Liz groaned sleepily from the bed. He turned and watched as she leaned over the side of the bed, staring at him with a smile. "What are you doing?"

"Picking up, babe," he said with a wink. She sighed and began climbing out of the bed. He finished clearing away nearly three piles of old junk and waited for her to join him. The pyro wrapped her arms around the enormous chest of the demon, laying her head over his shoulder as she breathed deeply. Red stayed perfectly still, savouring the sensation of woman's soft chin resting against his warm shoulder. This, the closeness of his wife to his heart, was all he wanted for the rest of his life. He had come so very close to leaving her behind after a intoxicated brawl with the prince. Unfortunately for the demon, the prince had not been intoxicated and had commenced to fully thrashing him within a few inches of his life. "This is it," he said smiling as he leaned his head backwards, touching his cheek to hers. "This is all I want."

"Mmmmm," she sighed. She reached forward and kissed the side of his face. The two stood, holding onto one another in what could have possibly been considered the most tender embrace Liz had given him. Suddenly, the doors to the room parted, slamming into the walls on either side. Liz jumped and let go of her husband as Abe entered the room looking frantic. "What the heck, Abe! Don't you know how to knock?!"

"Nuala is gone!" the fish-man exclaimed. The other two looked at him in confusion. "I left last night to spend a little time in the water while she was asleep. When I came back just a few minutes ago, she was gone and I can't find her anywhere in the compound! Manning has radioed everyone and no one has seen her!"

"Abe, don't panic," Red interjected as he began to move towards his friend. "She's not gone, you just don't know where she is. She's around here somewhere. She can't disappear and she's pregnant."

"She is due to give birth any moment!" Abe shouted more desperately. Liz frowned and strode back over to the bed, reaching for the outfit she had left on the floor when crawling into bed the night before. "I have to find her! Oh, she must be terrified!"

"Abe, calm down," Liz said as she continued dressing. "She's probably outside thinking. Elves have a habit of getting past people unseen, remember?"

"Where could she have gone?" Abe muttered as he began to pace in a small circle. "Why?"

Liz sighed and walked over to the blue-man as her husband sighed and sat down in front of the televisions. He was sure that after a moment in front of a screen he would be able to think about where the princess would have gone. Liz tried her best to comfort Abe and assure him that the elf was probably outside enjoying her last few moments of freedom. This only served to make her friend even more frantic. Red sighed and turned up the volume, flipping mindlessly through the news programs as he tried to sort through all of his thoughts.

"In other news this morning, Central Park has come alive with animal protection and curious citizens as a strange creature seems to be making its home beneath an enormous oak tree. The creature, which animal control believes is some sort of wild cat, has made a large and recent burrow deep in the ground beneath the tree. Authorities say that the animal will need to be removed quickly for its own protection," an anchor announced as the screen faded into a live feed from the park. Red's eyes widened as the sounds and sights of something utterly bizarre unfolded in front of him. The park was swarming with people gathered around the tree. Many held up signs displaying their desire to have the creature protected and not removed. Several more were obvious uniformed members of an animal control unit. He narrowed his eyes as the sound of shrill screaming filled the park. The visitors became very still and silent as the scream faded.

"Uh, Abe?" Red said nervously. The other two turned to the demon. "I think your girl's in Central Park having your baby."

"What?!" Abe and Liz exclaimed in unison as the moved towards the television. Abe stared in horror at the sight of animal control personnel trying to close in on the tree where his wife might have been in labour. "Oh dear!"

"We need to get out there," Liz said quickly as she began hurrying towards the door. "Come on, guys, let's go fire up the truck."

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh no! She's out there all alone!" Abe stammered as he and Red raced to catch up with Liz. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Abe, I really don't think there's something going right at the moment. Your wife, who happens to be an elf who was pregnant for a full two days is about to give birth under a tree . . . literally."

"She must be in terrible pain!" Abe cried as they rounded the first corner.

Red stopped and watched as the human-creature stood and swayed for a moment. The demon's facial expression melted quickly from stern and determined to stern and frustrated as his friend collapsed onto the floor. He groaned and reached down, taking his friend in his large, stone arm. "Great going, Abe," he muttered as he hurried after his wife. "Your woman needs you, really needs you, and you pass out. You're gonna do just fine as a dad."

"Hurry up, you guys!" Liz shouted from the truck. As the demon set the unconscious man into the back of the vehicle, a loud clanking came from a few feet behind him. Red turned, frowning even more fully at the sight of a walking suit coming towards the open vehicle. "Red, come on!"

"Oh, crap, you're not coming are you?" the demon asked as Dr. Krauss stepped into the truck as well.

"I will be going along not only in light of the fact that Dr. Sapien is out of commission, it is also necessary for me to be present on any excursion that this team undertakes whether it involves my expertise or not," the suit said firmly. He reached behind him and closed the door harshly as Red groaned and turned to Liz. The girl climbed into the driver's seat and shouted for everyone to hold on. "Now, why exactly are we leaving? I could hear all of your commotion on the other side of the building."

"Abe's going to be a dad, Dr. Krauss," Liz called back as the vehicle careened out of the garage. "We'll have to kind of bypass security and get to New York in a flash."

"New York?" Dr. Krauss said confusedly as Red tried to rouse his friend.

"Yeah, apparently you can take the elf out of the forest, but they still need to be there when they're born," the demon laughed. "This is going to be interesting."

"I'll say," Dr. Krauss mused. "I am curious who the child will resemble and just how the birthing process works."

"You're staying out of the way as much as possible," Liz corrected from the driver's seat. "The only one that really needs to be there is Abe."

The group remained relatively silent as the vehicle sped into New York state. Abe had awakened shortly before crossing the border. The group did their best to give him encouragement, but found themselves feeling almost as frightened and confused. How had the princess made it to Central Park in one night while nearly delivering her first baby? This was unbelievable, but then the fact that they were about to rush to the aid of an elf and her son was somewhat hard to fathom as well. After what seemed like an eternity, the truck sped into a parking lot close to where the city's greatest natural attraction lay swarmed with curious eyes and furious voices.

The group was met with several strange glances and shouts of anger mixed with confusion as they pushed through the crowd and up to the oak. Sure enough, a large entranceway had been constructed where a few of the roots had been pulled upward. Abe froze and began to pant heavily as another scream filled the air. The animal control personnel turned to the group and began trying to escort them away as the other three tried to explain the situation. Abe stared in stunned silence at the sight of the roots upturned and the entranceway to the chamber where his wife was giving birth. He knew he needed to be in there with her. He knew that he was the only person on earth who had the right to be beside her at the moment, but something within him had stopped moving with fear. Did she really need him? Was this truly the direction he wanted his life to take?

"Abraham!" the she-elf wailed from beneath the tree. His eyes narrowed as a sense of purpose and strength came over him. He moved past the personnel standing between the agents and the entrance without blinking. One of the uniformed men grabbed the man-fish by the arm, trying to use every last resort to keep people away from the strange animal within. Red moved forward and picked up the man, tossing him to the side as Abe walked hurriedly through the circular hole beneath mass of roots and earth. He breathed heavily and felt a surge of energy move through his limbs when another long scream met him. He walked in only a few more yards, looking around carefully for the princess. The trees roots came down in a solid mass around which the den had been constructed. Lying against the central portion of sturdy root, slightly reclined and incredibly exhausted, lay Nuala. She turned towards her husband as he moved closer. He knelt, taking one of her trembling pale hands in his. "He is coming now. Please, Abraham, do something."

"Try to keep breathing, princess," Abe said firmly. Nuala groaned and laid her head backwards, sobbing heavily. She had disrobed moments after the tree had allowed her in. The old entity had torn away a fairly sized den for the elf after hearing her request. It was only fitting for her child to be born where she had been reborn. She should have given birth where she and her brother had been born had they not faced a death together. Abe moved over her and looked directly into her eyes. "Nuala, you are doing splendidly. Keep breathing."

The elf tilted her head back in one final cry. The human creature watched as she suddenly sat forward and shouted in desperation. Abe gasped as the sound of another being crying became clear; A tiny voice began making itself known with a wail to match its mother's.

The group left outside the tree froze at the final cry of the princess. Liz felt her heart quivering, but not beating as they thought that something had harmed the elf found its way into her mind. She pushed against the man trying to hold her back away from the tree and hurried into the entrance. Red did the same, not needing to give much incentive to the uniformed man to move out of the way. Dr. Krauss followed swiftly, leaving animal control to scratch their heads and pray that nothing nasty was waiting under the oak. Liz followed the same path that her friend had taken only moments before, stopping in shock a few feet away from the sight of the princess and her friend.

"Oh wow," she whispered. Red stood beside her, taking her hand carefully as they watched Abe take a small, pale infant in his arms. Nuala panted heavily, trying to catch her breath as quickly as possible after the ordeal.

"There it is, just like that," Red muttered in awe.

"There _he_ is," Dr. Krauss corrected. "I believe they said that she was having a boy."

The three continued to watch in stunned silence as the couple cradled their arms tenderly around their child. The baby fussed loudly for a few moments, but seemed to grow more and more quiet and still between his parents. Abe smiled and looked down at Nuala who was already doing the same. Tears from extraordinary hard work and joy streamed down both cheeks as her breath steadied. Her hair was flat against the top of her head with sweat and anxiety. Abe leaned down and pressed his lips against her crown, telling himself that this was most assuredly the path he wanted to take. His life was only just about to begin, just like Leopold's.

"Leopold," he said softly. The baby opened his eyes and looked up expectantly at his father. Abe smiled more brightly. "Leopold Sapien."

"He is beautiful," Nuala whispered. She looked up at her husband, glowing as brilliantly as the sun. "He has your eyes."

"He has more of you in him," Abe noted as he took in every detail of the small creature. Pale skin on two arms and two legs each with five perfectly formed appendages. His white ears came to two perfect points giving testimony to his heritage. A line scar across his cheeks and nose told of his birthright. A perfectly normal infant in almost every way. What was not normal about Leopold was unusually beautiful. Abe sighed and stared down at his family. His family, he realized. "We need to go somewhere for you and our son to rest."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We will need to stop soon to rest," Nuada announced as Titania caught up with him. The sky had begun to grow very dark and speckled with only a few stars peeking through heavy clouds. The girl had been unusually silent throughout the majority of the journey so far. Nuada wondered if this stemmed from a fear in realizing that she had just agreed to undertake something so difficult with a prince that did not believe in the survival of her kind.

In truth, Titania was anxious not about the task, but about the prince himself. She had dreamed about him. Titania had never had many dreams just for the sake of dreaming. She had always found that at least a portion of her dreams had a purpose. She felt so exposed being alone with him this time. She eyed him cautiously as they headed deeper and deeper into the forest. Titania couldn't remember ever coming this far before. None of the trees, flowers, or animals looked familiar here. Even the air felt foreign. She gathered as much courage as she could, trying to focus on the mystery of what could be done to defeat the Gnome King and how to find the compass. She tried repeatedly to avert her gaze from the prince as they walked and had tried even harder to find casual, but pertinent, questions to ask the prince about the magical world. She had managed to softly ask what gnomes were like. Nuada's keen hearing had been so confused by the girl's soft tone that he hadn't heard the question properly and explained to her that the only thing he knew of 'bones' were their stability and purpose to support the body. Titania had tried to correct her question and voice it more loudly, but had been unable to do so. She would simply need to relax that evening. Nuada found them a suitable place in a clearing to make camp. They had stopped by the tree-house momentarily to retrieve two blankets for them to use that night. Titania had thought then about offering to carry something so that Puck would not be too burdened, but even that seemed a little difficult to say.

The two sat near the campfire glancing back and forth between the flickering flames and the starlit sky peeking through the oak canopy above. Titania shivered and looked at the prince. He was lost in thought somehow. She smiled and scooted closer, wondering what she could say to break the silence and get him to reveal even more about his world and himself if that was possible. Her voice, she knew, was returning and after an entire day with him she felt much more comfortable. She thought back to the kitchen and the moments before they had left the mansion. Misses Badcrumble had said a few things about steering clear of mushrooms and tying back their hair. She smiled more brightly as she turned to him and spoke.

"Do you want me to braid your hair for you?" she offered. He turned and stared at her almost insulted at the offer. She fidgeted nervously. "We'll be going into the quarry tomorrow and I thought it would be easier for you if your hair was braided like the elves in a lot of the stories I read."

"The elves in your stories bind their hair?" he asked slowly. She nodded. "Do you have proof?"

"Sure, I still have one of the picture books." She reached into her backpack and withdrew a cinema stills book from the front-most portion. She handed it to him and scooted behind him, pulling out her brush and a black cotton hair band. She opened the page and pointed to a picture of a flawless young man with golden blonde hair, pale peach skin, expressive blue eyes, and tall pointed ears. The prince stared down in fascination at the image. Sure enough, the creature's hair was tied behind him in a long braid. "That's Legolas; he was an elf-prince, too."

"That is no elf," Nuada corrected as he felt Titania place one hand on his back. He smiled slightly and allowed her to begin brushing the cascades of gold and white back. "That is a dark faerie."

"No, it's supposed to be an elf. Yeah, a 'dark-elf', but not a faerie at all." She parted the locks into three sections and gently began wrapping them around one another. "He was one of the heroes of that story. He was amazing with a bow and arrow."

"And how did you learn of him?" he asked. The creature was not elf like in the prince's mind. He was far too human in appearance. "This seems to be linked to dark magic if you are that enchanted by him. It is the goal of the dark faeries, after all."

"It was a movie, a film. Well, actually it was a book first," she said pointing to the back cover displaying the title and author of the original work. Nuada scowled at it and tossed the book to the side. "Hey!"

"Tolkien, that useless fop! My father received word of him when he was permitted entrance into the court here," Nuada said angrily. "He was given precious knowledge and hospitality and how does he repay us? By distorting our ways and world into something ridiculous and unnatural! The very idea, wizards using real magic and dwarves conversing with elves. Worse! Elves and humans side by side!"

Titania froze and breathed heavily. For as much kindness as the prince was beginning to show, he was not going to relinquish his hatred of humankind easily. She finished tying off the long plait of gold and white before scooting away silently. He turned and watched her slink back to her seat on the other side of the flames. She frowned and reached out, taking the book and slipping it back into the satchel. Nuada frowned, feeling that he had said the very wrong thing once again.

"Sometimes it's nice to be able to pretend, to dream, your highness," she said softly. "It helps us deal with reality. I think, even if he totally misrepresented everything about your world, that he gave my people a little something to make them wiser. It made a lot of people really concerned about defending the forests again."

"The human definition of defending the forests is rather tainted as well," the prince remarked, glad that the subject had changed. "Any fool can live and die for their protection, it takes a truly dedicated defender to kill for them."

"You should never have to kill anything," Titania said firmly, loudly, and very directly at the prince. The elf looked away, realizing that the girl was right in one sense. She was no warrior and did not quite comprehend the idea of defending one's own life in combat or fighting to desperately stave off a mortal attack on a homeland, but she did treasure life in a manner that he admired. She was so intent on preservation, so dedicated to the idea that all life was as important as her own. "Besides, if all you do is kill for mother earth, then father time is going to start getting jealous and using karma to start taking out his own revenge."

"It is amusing how you refer to them, the elements of earth and time. Mother and father; I suppose they could be called so," he said lying back against the ground with his arms folded behind his head. Titania frowned and laid to one side, trying to ignore the small disappointment in the prince's words. He glanced towards her, disturbed by her unusual silence. "You have not asked me about dark faeries though I mentioned them."

"What about them?" she muttered mindlessly.

He smiled. "They are one of the few magical creatures that can shield their appearance from other magical beings. They often appear human, young, and innocent to draw victims to them. They live on the frightened deaths of either. There is a flame released in a human when they die terrified that denies them any healing and makes them entirely vulnerable, the dark ones thrive on helplessness." He shuddered at thinking of Oberon and what kind of destruction the old faerie had planned. "They cannot hide, however, when they reveal their wings. They have strange wings, like dragon's wings that pulse with their heartbeat and grow smaller and larger as they beat. They become wretched and ugly when revealed. I suppose no evil creature likes to be found out for what they truly are, evil's very core is deceit after all."

"Have you ever seen one?" she asked softly. Nuada frowned as he turned his gaze up to the stars.

"Only once," he whispered. Titania turned to him for a moment, trying to ascertain with her eyes only what these dark memories were that he was harkening back to. He sighed and pulled his blanket around him. "Puck, watch the fire. You will not be going into the Gnome King's fortress with us tomorrow, so you may sleep then. Titania and I will need the warmth for a good night's rest."

"Yes, sire," the pwca said with a nod. Titania watched the prince close his dark lids and breathe peacefully. She frowned and reached for her own blanket. Puck suddenly came to her side, picking up the blanket and gently laying it over her. She smiled at him gratefully. "Goodnight, Titania."

"Goodnight, Puck," she replied with a yawn. It would be a very full day within the quarry. Titania knew that it was likely to be the most exciting and difficult day of her life. She closed her eyes softly and drifted into a sound sleep.

Nuada stirred at the sound of an owl overhead. He turned to Titania, who now lay sleeping peacefully on the ground. He smirked, lifting himself off the ground to lean against his folded elbows. The girl was definitely not all human. The Morrighan had brought them together for a reason. Perhaps Titania was to be his closest confidant before her human trappings were hewn away by the passage of time. He smiled more brightly. It had been long since he had enjoyed the company of a friend who could offer him a proper argument. When done correctly, arguments were one of Nuada's favourite sports. He watched Titania roll to her side, the back of her head facing him. He reached behind him and felt the tight braid that she had formed with his hair, bound with a simple tie. Her dark tresses were so different from the elves he had known all his life, but not so different from the faeries and mixed creatures.

It was not often that a magical creature was enchanted by a human, but when it happened it happened hopelessly, fully, and wonderfully . . . or so he had heard. He moved carefully towards her, withdrawing the brush and another tie from her satchel. It was wrong to look in another's belongings without permission, but it also hardly seemed fair for her to have been so willing to help him prepare without the gesture being reciprocated. He gently pulled all of her hair free away from where it lay either on the ground beneath her or over her shoulder. He pulled the brush through it gently, separating the locks, as she had done, into three sections. He smiled at feeling how incredibly soft the dark flowing silk was. Being in the forest had made things seem less harsh, less urgent than the city. His inner ambition told him to ignore it and to not be drawn away from removing the filth of man from the earth. Still, there would be quite a bit of time before he would appear before his court to take the throne.

Until then, he was free to observe and experience as he liked. At the moment, despite her mortal flaws, he found himself liking Titania. It hadn't been her silence that day or the fact that she was learning to do as he told her, it was simply the idea of a creature as driven as he was being so connected to ancient treasures in nature. After finishing a long dark braid, the prince reached down and softly stroked the girl's brow. He almost pitied her, but found that the fascination he had for her was something much more meaningful; he was growing to care for her.

(((Oh and don't worry about him going soft for her just yet; the only reason he is tolerating her is he has convinced himself that she isn't really a human and he is focused on getting home. Still, I do believe that if he had been re-introduced to the wild and allowed time to regain natural strength and nourishment in the forest, Nuada wouldn't have been so grouchy. I think the whole 'humans must die' thing was just fed continually having to live under Manhattan. Poor guy, I mean, elf.))))


	14. Memory Glass

**Chapter 14**

The Morrighan perched silently on a nearby branch as the sun began to rise, watching her nephew and the sleeping human with anger and amusement. The human girl was proving to be more purposeful than the old sorceress had intended. She was thoroughly frustrating the prince and keeping him under a modicum of control. She felt a throbbing ache reaching through her heart as she sat. She had never released the anger she had harboured towards Nuada for Aine's death. The boy was, after all, the reason that the queen was unprotected and unprotective of her own life. The mynah growled softly. She would have been able to save her sister had it not been for the selfish brat. She loathed the very existence of the little cretin for that alone, but added to that was the thought that she would soon answer to him as ruler over all the realms of magic. She thought back to the day it had all truly begun. Aine had come to see her shortly after the curse had been identified. No one had told Nuada or Nuala of the curse throughout their lives lest it consume them in knowing it. Aine and the Morrighan had been twins as well. As children they had learned and trained with magic of every kind. They had even delved into a few forbidden spells and charms that manipulated hearts and minds. In doing so, they had made a pact that they would be bound to one another. Their undying love as sisters was sealed with a precious link of magic that caused the one to feel the other's emotions and even physical distress. It was perfect. The one would never suffer without the other and they would have comfort as well as understanding. Their knowledge and strengths would be shared in this secret. Aine had visited late in the afternoon, the time of day where her sister was usually rising to work her wiles on hordes of men. Shortly after arriving with the infant prince in her arms and the princess carefully held in a sling across her chest, Aine made a desperate and costly request.

"The link? Our link?" the Morrighan had asked angrily. "Why? What good would it do for them?"

"Nuada is heart-sick, sister and always will be. He will never know what we have known. Nuala, though is pure and without this blemish," Aine had said looking down at her children sadly. "I believe that bestowing the link upon them would keep them safe. Nuada would know the gentleness of his sister and she would stave off any harshness from reaching her brother."

"The heart is free, sister. Even if the link were given the boy would still be free to feel as hateful as he pleased," the raven-sorceress had sneered. "I refuse, and if you cared about your daughter at all, you would send the little mutant off to live with the trolls where he belongs. No elf has markings like that."

"How can you say such things?!" Aine had exclaimed in horror. "You are my sister, my dearest friend, and this is my son! He is not evil, he is ill!"

"And it has made you ill from worrying, sister," the Morrighan replied placing a hand softly on her sister's shoulder. "You have not thought clearly or rested since this ordeal began. Do you remember what the wise-faerie said at his naming? He would grow to wield a blade with ferocity, to strike out with cunning and feel no pain in taking the throne through blood."

"The prophecies of faeries are never what they seem," Aine argued. Nuada shifted and cooed softly, looking up at his mother with a smile. Aine smiled back and then turned to her sister. "Whether you agree or not, sister, I will not keep this link any longer. It serves no purpose."

" No purpose!? No purpose?! How would I come to your aid if you needed me?" the Morrighan shouted angrily.

Aine frowned. "I have needed you recently and you never came," she replied sadly. The Morrighan growled and turned away flustered. "You never speak to me anymore, your visits are as rare as dragon tears."

"Why should I visit every moment? We are linked, we know what the other is thinking and feeling, do we not?" the sorceress shot back. Aine sighed and shook her head. "Do we not?"

"We do not. Had you felt the pains I have suffered these past days for my children you would have rushed to embrace me and soothe away the torment that grips me still." Aine watched as the Morrighan's expression fell from angered to remorseful. The link had become marred somehow, she had felt it. Nuada and Nuala were not guaranteed the same closeness that Aine and the Morrighan had enjoyed in their youth, but it was worth trying in the fire-queen's mind if it meant peace for her son and daughter. She stood beside her sister and forced the elfling prince into her arms. "It is the only way to ensure that Bethmoora does not die. He will be the only heir. Please, sister. For me."

The Morrighan shut out the memory of placing her arms around the child and drawing his face to hers as she breathed her magic into him. Aine had done the same for Nuala at the very same moment. The link had been transferred to the prince and princess just as it had been woven and placed upon their mother and aunt. If the link had not been taken, the Morrighan knew she could have saved her sister's life. If that pathetic excuse for an elf had not allowed himself to meet with harm . . . She shook her head furiously from the memories and the night before flying away to find a place to sleep. _Nuada will not have the crown without a battle_, she thought. _Oberon will be the least of his worries, I will make him suffer for my sister's death at last_.

The prince awoke suddenly, sitting bolt upright and breathing heavily. "Nuala," he said softly. Titania sat up and looked at him in confusion as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. "I felt her, no, an infant, I felt life begin and she was there."

"Sire?" Puck said hopping closer to him. The prince turned and gazed sternly at the pwca. The creature lowered himself low to the ground and stared back at the prince in slight fear.

"Search the forest, Puck. Begin at the elder tree and do not stop until you have searched every corner, every blade of grass, every branch of every tree. My sister is alive, I know it," he said firmly. The pwca frowned and hesitated. "Now!"

"Yes, sire," the pwca replied heavily. The prince would not abandon his current task to go and find her if he was not quite sure of her presence, as Puck suspected he was not. He would also not want the disappointment and exhaustion of searching himself only to find that it had all been a dream. Puck shook his head and hurried off towards the elder tree, hating the idea of Titania being alone with him. Although, lately the girl seemed to be able to hold her own. The already exhausted pwca hurried off in search of the prince's twin, knowing full well that he would not find her in the forest. The feel of the elves, of the magic they carried with them, was not anywhere nearby. Even Nuada's natural power was hindered by his focus on combat and physical prowess.

Titania rose quickly and began folding her blanket into thirds before setting it beside the basket Misses Badcrumble had sent. She watched as Nuada did the same. She wondered if he had been accustomed to setting and breaking camp being in exile. She shook her head. Where exactly had he stayed? He said that he had been taken across the sea. To where? She pushed the questions out of her mind as she opened the basket and pulled out what had been meant for breakfast. Puck had retrieved for them what had been meant for the evening meal the night before and she hadn't really had an opportunity to look and see if the old cook had sent anything that would help them against the Gnome King. Titania had read that gnomes were sensitive to a culinary necessity that was prominent in the kitchen and parts of the grounds. She noticed a smaller carrying case in the back of the basket. As she pulled it towards her, she peeked inside, smiling brightly. The woman had known exactly what Titania had read, and the carrying case was full to nearly bursting. She withdrew it fully after the two had finished and were ready to leave.

Nuada had been very silent and had forgone his look of either irritation or amusement in place of a brow and visage furrowed deeply in worry. She glanced in his direction as frequently as possible without the elf taking notice to continue and try to decipher his thoughts. No use, he was, as Dickens had said, " . . . as self contained as an oyster." She sighed heavily as she picked up the carrying case and turned to him.

"Where to now?" she asked. He shook himself, turning to her with a more focused expression.

"To the quarry, this way. I can smell sulfur and limestone, that means they are fairly close by." He pointed the way and began to walk hurriedly to the other edge of the forest. Titania frowned and followed after. He was moving more quickly than usual. While he seemed to be focused in expression, his movements were more thoughtless and less precise. He had never been so distracted in front of her before. What had made him so edgy? He stopped every few minutes and turned back to the forest. "We should stay for a day or so; she must be at the elder tree."

"But I can't stay out here another night," Titania argued. He turned, looking at her in a combination of shock and anger. "Besides, we need to get this compass for you as quickly as possible."

"Do not dictate what is important to me, girl," he warned in a low voice. Titania took a step backwards, staring at him cautiously. He sighed and shook his head. "You are right, we will continue. Puck will find her and I will finally be rid of the wretched Morrighan."

"Isn't she your aunt?" Titania muttered as she followed. The elf led them to the edge of the trees that lined this portion of the countryside. The quarry was a good distance off, with a large open grass field in between. Titania hesitated, reminding herself that she was only a human, that this may not have been real, that the realm she was about to enter was deadly, and that the elf she was travelling with might have been a murderer even among his own kind. _No, he isn't evil, he's extreme_, she told herself. _He'll be off the whole 'kill humans' thing after I've helped him_.

"The Gnome King's lair is lined with pitfalls and snares especially for humans like yourself," he said as they walked across the field. "Be watchful and do only as I say. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, but, what about elves? Don't the gnomes have traps set for elves too?" she asked as they neared the edge of the quarry.

"Of course, but we are quite versed in removing the magic that they would use to harm us." He turned and watched as she moved to stand beside him. He whirled back around, moving forward and feeling behind him for his spear. He had taken the bokun with him as well in case he found himself in need of both weapons. It was comforting to feel the heavy blades resting against his back in their respective sheaths. The sword that had been his had been lost in the Giant's Causeway. The bokun would suffice from this point on. "The most powerful way to break a spell is to consult with one of the Ladies of the Otherworld and, as you can see, I have more than enough of that." He turned and gave an amused glance in her direction. "I suppose you, in your limited human knowledge, believe that the most powerful way to break a spell is to kiss a wounded man, do you not? It has been a disgusting pattern in the books you have horded in the tree house."

"Actually, the most powerful spell breaker, in my opinion is just six words," Titania replied. Nuada turned to her and gave her a strange look. "You have no power over me."

"And which of your human fairy tales uses that nonsense to break a spell?" he laughed.

"Sarah, a girl fighting the Goblin King in the story _Labyrinth_." Titania replied. The elf cringed.

"The Goblin King? Jareth?" he said with disgust.

"You know him?" Titania asked excitedly. The elf frowned.

"I know of him; foul and tasteless degenerate," he muttered.

"I always thought he was handsome and charming in that wicked kind of way," Titania said with a school girl's grin. The elf groaned and looked away.

"If that is what you consider charming, then I would be most pleased to think that you find me entirely unattractive," he said casually.

"That's a relief," Titania said with a sarcastic grin as she walked past him. Nuada stopped and watched the girl in shock. She turned and gave him a wink. He growled and began racing towards her. The girl shrieked and took off towards the quarry. "Run, run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me I'm . . ." The girls words and movements stopped as the edge of her boots met the edge of the quarry. It was a steep drop to the bottom, but a staircase meant for travelers lay nearby. Titania began panting and shuddering in disbelief as she stared at them. Each stone step was splashed with enormous dark stains. Near each dark stain was either tattered clothing or oddments that resembled bone. She groaned, feeling nausea rising in the back of her throat. Nuada raced towards her, ready to demand an apology for insinuating he was less than perfect, but found himself standing perfectly still as well.

"Come, Titania, we must keep moving," he said firmly as he took her by the shoulders and began to walk towards the stairs. She shook her head firmly and tried to pull away. This time, the prince's grip was fast and sure, leaving no room for her to do anything other than what he had ordered. "Move, Titania, do not look at what is left of them."

"Oh!" she shrieked at hearing confirmation of the horrific theory she had formed in her mind. She turned and continued trying to get away from the elf to head back to the safety and purity of the grass. "They were people, those are . . ."

"They are nothing to us," he corrected as the neared the base of the staircase. "There will be far more gruesome remnants of many creatures in the halls of the gnomes."

"I don't want t go! You can do this without me," she shouted as she tried more furiously to break free of his grip and race back up the stairs. He squeezed both her arms tightly before turning her away from him to face the entrance to the gnome's fortress. It looked like any other run down building in the back-most parts of the British countryside, sagging gray walls made of what was once a strong alliance between stone and mortar, a drooping brown ceiling reaching to the sky in shredded shingles every now and again in one last attempt to keep from drowning in the sea of time passed. She panted heavily as he placed on arm firmly around her to keep her in place and clasped the other over her mouth.

"Be quiet," he growled. She shivered, hearing something darker in the prince's voice than anger. "Do you see the door? It is but one of many entrances into the world of the gnomes. No doubt they have sensed a disturbance with your commotion, but we can keep them from discovering us and doing horrible, horrible things if you are silent and only do as I command. I would not have come if I had thought for a moment that the Gnome King would be able to best me in any way. Even humans, certain humans, outdo gnomes as far as their intelligence. It was probably what they took from the humans they captured; knowledge."

Titania felt her heartbeat begin to slow as he released his grip ever so slightly. He looked around and sniffed the air carefully.

"Wha . . ." she began. Her word was cut off by the prince's hand.

"I said be silent," he hissed into her ear. She nodded quickly and stayed still as he began to inch forward, sniffing and searching for something. He must have covered every inch of the visible quarry by the time they had moved a mere two feet from the base of the stairs. He released his hand and moved his arm away from her chest. "Cast out your fear, it feeds them. Follow me."

Titania nodded and followed quickly, concentrating on the passages from her books and not the grisly mess on the stairs or the prince's warning. The elf led the way up to the door of the ancient building. Titania stared at it in amazement. She had never heard anything about a quarry here. She had heard about factories a good distance from the mansion and that there had been a stone quarry some years ago in an area close to the city, but not here. Nuada's ears flexed as he lowered his head and scanned the landscape with his amber eyes. He snarled, noting that there was a stirring beneath the earth already. The gnomes were more than aware of their presence. He reached behind him and placed a hand around the hilt of his spear.

"Help!" a strange voice called from within the building. Titania turned and gasped. The voice was like a small female child's. She reached for the handle instinctively, setting the carrier from Misses Badcrumble on the ground against the wall nearby. Nuada snatched her hand swiftly in his, clamping down on her fingers painfully. She grunted and turned to him in confusion. He shook his head slowly, glaring at her with a rage forming. Titania frowned and looked away, thinking about whether or not she should ignore him and help whoever was crying out. "Help, mommy, help!"

Titania took her other hand and pulled the prince's pale form off of her own. She place both hands on the large latch and began heaving it upward. Nuada growled and slammed one hand over the door, glaring at her more angrily than before. She looked up at him desperately.

"What do you think you are doing?" he growled.

"There's a little girl in there!" Titania exclaimed trying to shove him away with her shoulder as she continued fighting with the latch. He grunted, kicking her away from the door as gently as possible while still making her aware of his desire for her to cease handling the door. She finally returned the glare. "There's a child in there, we need to help her!"

"There is no need for us to open this door," he said sternly. Titania stared at him in disbelief. Was he going to leave a defenseless child in the clutches of the gnomes, gnomes that had obviously slaughtered people trying to escape? He turned back to the landscape of the quarry, still scanning and listening. There were too many areas of movement, no place for them to enter yet. He heard Titania step away from the door. He smiled, congratulating himself on being firm enough with her for obedience once again. A loud crash stopped the momentary celebration in the prince's mind. He turned and watched in shock as the human moved several steps away from the wall, taking a running start towards it, apparently a second time. Her shoulder collided with the wall just as the elf reached out to stop her. He managed to catch her by the arm as the two flew through the thin remnant of wall and downward. The floor had either worn away or, as Nuada suspected, had been hewn away by gnomes in an effort to make a more suitable place to release heat from their furnaces. It was also, the prince realized, an effective trap for ridiculously compassionate humans that could not recognize the sound of a gnome imitating another being if it meant saving their own life. The carrier fell backwards, joining its masters as they descended into the heart of the gnome's lair.

The two tumbled downward, landing on the hard stone floor beneath them. Nuada grunted in pain as he felt his breath forced out of him. Luckily, he had exercised enough forethought to have his shoulders flexed as his back so that the blades behind him hit the ground. It wasn't a terribly long fall, but it was far enough to be a nuisance. Titania landed a few feet away, coughing and gagging. She had clutched her arms over her face and curled her knees to her chest. While nothing was broken, the girl was sure that she had bruised her entire body in one move. She groaned as the carrier hit the ground with a loud thud beside her. Titania gasped and struggled to sit up, quickly examining the contents of the carrier to make sure that they were intact. She sighed heavily with relief as she saw all the eggs within were unharmed. Nuada looked at her hatefully as he rose to his feet. His glare was slightly mixed with confusion as he watched her close the carrier.

"Eggs?!" he exclaimed angrily. "That is your one weapon of choice, the one thing you managed to bring along?"

"You'll see why," Titania replied softly as she stood carefully. She breathed deeply, moving past the pain that was radiating through every extremity. Nuada snarled as she stood next to him, taking in their surroundings with a frown. "It's too dark to see anything, and I don't hear her anymore."

"I told you not to open that door, fool! It was a trap, you imbecile," he growled. "And now, thanks to you and your wretched human limitations, we are at the mercy of the gnomes!"

"Concern is not a limitation!" she argued. Nuada growled in frustration and turned to loom over her.

"Allow your simple mind to grasp but one fact at the moment, girl; I know more than you in this realm and am the only creature here interested a fraction in your survival," he said loudly. She looked down sadly. She had done something incredibly stupid with the best intentions. Why hadn't she just listened to him? She sighed and began to pace a few steps back and forth. "Now, let me think . . ."

"Maybe we should . . ." Titania began, still grasping the carrier tightly.

"Urgh! Silence, girl! I am trying to think!" he shouted enraged. Titania froze and faced him in shock. "The king would be in the central portion. It will be much deeper underground. No doubt the compass will be there as well. We should start towards the smell of limestone, it will be a safer path."

"What? Why limestone?" Titania asked as she moved beside him once again. Nuada felt all conflicting emotions focus into irritated anger as he turned to her. The amber in his eyes became an orange flame baring into her soul. There was finally an outlet for the anxiety in wondering about his sister, the frustration of being without proper living conditions and being denied his birthright, and his anger towards the humans and the demon that had brought this rebirth far from home on him.

"Will there never be an end to your questions? Do not speak, follow me!" he snarled. Titania frowned and shook her head as he moved several steps forward. Noticing that the girl was not right at his side after a few feet, he turned and glared at her. "If you do not follow me, you will die here."

Titania took a step forward, still gazing at him with concern. She had truly taken her life into her own hands now. A loud thud suddenly came from behind her, causing her to jump and turn towards the noise. She gasped. An enormous, clear glass wall had fallen directly behind her. Nuada's eyes widened in fear. He turned to try and run in the other direction, but was stopped as another clear glass wall fell in front of him. Titania heard the prince scream in frustration as she looked at the glass. It was not simply two walls, it was a dome. They had been sealed inside a huge glass dome.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Memory glass!" he shouted, unsheathing the spear instantly. He grasped it tightly and stood poised to attack. Titania watched as he began repeatedly striking the glass with his spear, sending sparks and cries of anger flying in every direction. The girl ducked, covering her head to defend against the sparks and spear. "It extracts the thoughts and memories of its captives."

"What!?" Titania shrieked as he finished striking the glass. He stood in front of it, examining it with agitated breaths. "Why?"

"It is always 'why' with you! To interrogate us, that is why," he explained angrily. "It is far more effective and permanent than torture, but it takes the energy of its victims in a similar manner. Help me break the dome!"

"How?" she asked as tears began to flood her eyes. There was more than ample reason to be afraid now. The blood on the stairs had been enough, but now her life was obviously in the path of destructive creatures, one of them wielding a spear not far away.

"Stop asking questions, you infuriatingly, stupid, useless human, and break the glass!" he shouted furiously as he unsheathed the bokun as well. "Now!"

"I don't know how!" Titania shrieked as sparks began to fly once again. Nuada slammed either blade into the clear surface, each in turn. The display would have been magnificent to behold from without the dome; the elf twirling and striking the dome methodically in a fluid circle around the rim. His furious expression was illuminated by the flashing sparks as he continued to slash at the glass repeatedly. Titania thought for a moment, feeling a warmth beginning to fill her head. The morning, the night before, and finally the day before began to play in her mind without warning. She breathed deeply and tried to calm herself. "She said not to get to let anger or sadness take us," she whispered in realization. She suddenly thought of a proper solution and rose to her feet. "Nuada, stop!" she called. The prince ignored her, sure of the fact that he was compromising the glass as he went. She frowned and moved swiftly towards him, trying to grasp the arm holding the bokun. Nuada felt the girl's hand graze his elbow and heard her voice. "Stop! Your anger is making the magic work faster!"

"Silence, curse you!" he shouted, whirling to face her. Titania took the opportunity to reach out and take hold of his hand still on the hilt of the bokun. He growled and drew in the hand grasping the spear. He reared backwards as Titania's expression became terrified. Enraged, the prince slammed the back of his hand into the girl's cheek, sending her flying into the clear wall several feet away. His heart sank as she slid to the floor in a heap. He had just attacked the only creature who had some idea as to how they could fully destroy the king. The old cook had told him that Titania knew the secret and that it would keep the gnomes from coming after him once the compass had been retrieved. He raced over to where she had fallen and knelt. "No," he whispered at seeing how still she had become. The blow had been incredible harsh and unrestrained. He turned her over, gazing into her face. A large bruise was beginning to form on the side of her face from beneath her eye to her chin. A small cut was within the bruise and the side of her mouth had a trickle of blood beginning to slowly drip. "Curse you!" he yelled once more, this time aimed directly at himself. He pulled the girl's lifeless form into his arms and felt the side of her chest. Her heart was still beating and her breath was still entering and leaving properly. He looked up at the top of the glass, seeing several small figures forming a giggling crowd overhead. He growled and stood, still holding onto the girl. "No! You will not have what you want from me!"

"Yield, Prince Nuada," the oily old voice of the Gnome King ordered. Nuada growled and allowed Titania to drop to the ground. He walked to one of the glass walls, staring out to get a good look at the old gnome. As he made out the enormous form that the gnome hid behind, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down. Gold blood spewed from a deep wound beneath the bone armour around him. He lifted his gaze, catching a glimpse of the demon that had bested him in combat before his rebirth. He gingerly reached up and touched the wound, realizing that he had once again fallen to an adversary.

"Nuala," he groaned as he dropped to his knees. Titania groaned as well, seeing her life passing in reverse. The prince tried one final time to fight away the memories of the recent months and the years that had preceded them. As only the memories filled his vision, tears filled his eyes. "Nuala, hear me." With the final words, the prince allowed the dreams of days past to overtake him. There was no sense in fighting the gnome's magic now. Instead, he knew he would be able to catch them off guard upon awakening. The gnomes would see a helpless, sleeping prince, but they would face an immortal angered beyond any comprehension who wanted desperately to return to the forest and be reunited with his sister. The gnomes watched as the two became still, cackling with delight as the glass filled with images of the elf and the girl in turn. Now, they would have all the knowledge of the royal family that Oberon desired.

_(((((((Prince Nuada Silverlance wishes it to be known that the next person to call him a wimp, pansy, weakling, or pretty-boy will be throttled in their sleep. Wimp. Ha! What now, huh? Anyway, Happy Easter, Passover, and Ostara everyone! The next few chapters are on their way. Oh yeah, and, this is just getting more and more fun for me!))))))_


	15. The Gnome Quarry 2nd Task

**Chapter 15**

"Nuada!" Nuala gasped and sat upright, giving only a tiny shout in pain and then going silent. Abe shook himself awake and turned to her. The breathing apparatus fit nicely and comfortably enough to be worn in bed. Provided the man only spent the necessary eight hours it took the elf to sleep, he could lie beside her all the while and not have to continually return to water. Nuala panted heavily and grasped her shoulder blade. Abe sat upright and began taking her arm in his hands. She breathed more calmly as her husband looked over the small wound she had felt form suddenly on her shoulder.

"What is it? What happened?" he asked. Nuala continued to breathe, saying nothing as a small trickle of blood moved down her arm. "How on earth?"

"My brother," she muttered fearfully. Abe's eyes widened for a moment and he shook his head, glancing down at the bed. He scanned the surface carefully and took one hand to feel for something that might have cut her. To his relief, there had been an open clothespin lying on the bed. A few of the older clothes that Liz had retrieved for Nuala still had some of the pins and needles in them. They were sure they had been able to remove and retrieve all of them, but were cautious in case one slipped their view. Obviously, one such pin had done so. Abe sighed and held it aloft for her to see. She sighed with relief and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I dreamed of him, I thought I felt him for a moment."

"Felt him?" Abe asked looking worriedly to the side. "But, Nuala, the prince is dead. He must be."

Nuala released the man and sat back against the headboard, looking down sadly. Abe felt the urge to hit himself in the face after saying something so thoughtless. "I miss him, Abraham," she confessed softly. "I do wish that there was some way, something I could do to bring him back. He was not always so cruel. He was once as timid as you are."

"I imagine that the goblin curse stole more than your parents knew from him," Abe offered. Nuala stared up at him in confusion, asking him what he meant. "You know, the spell that the goblins put on him when he was a baby. The one that gave him a darker appearance than the rest of your kind."Nuala placed a hand on her mouth in shock. Abe frowned, realizing that the passage he had read in the book was not something known to the she-elf. He gently took her hand. "If you're awake enough for now, I'll show you something I found just before my friends and I came to the Giant's Causeway."

She nodded and climbed quickly out of the bed. The two dressed and walked to the door, a strained silence having settled over them. Abe felt mortified at what Nuala's reaction would be to find out that he had known something so important about her brother, something that might have saved his life. Nuala focused more on what kind of evil her parents had kept from them. Her father had tried desperately to break the link that she and her brother had enjoyed as children after their mother's death. Nuala had done her best to keep it despite the pain it brought her. Her brother's hatred often manifested itself in brawls with various creatures ending in their death and, occasionally, a new scar for the prince to wear proudly.

Abe led the way down several hallways to Manning's secure office. He kept the older and more precious manuscripts here for safekeeping. Manning referred to it as his study, but everyone knew better than to think that Manning spent a great deal of time with old texts or new texts studying. Nuala glanced around at the steel, concrete, and glass cases with silent intrigue. She had barely seen much when she had first arrived and had not taken in the surroundings of her new home yet. It felt so cold, so impersonal. It amazed her that Abe was so warm and tender despite these harsh walls. She was grateful he had not succumb to their chill as her brother had done living beneath the city.

Abe flipped open the panel over the digital lock on the room and typed in a few numbers. Nuala looked away, finding the idea of all the buttons and flashing lights associated with this dwelling very tiring. It was a wonder anyone could walk straight with all these unnatural bells and whistles. The door slid open and the two entered. As the light came on over head, Abe gasped. The table in the centre of the room held several of his books including a large wooden case that had once been used by Professor Broom. The case was open. Abe had been accustomed to opening it himself to draw on the wisdom or objects contained within, but couldn't imagine anyone, even Red, opening it and finding a usage for the contents.

"Oh dear," he muttered as he walked swiftly to the table, leaving Nuala to stand in the doorway. She stared silently as her husband looked over the wooden case and glanced over the remnants of the books with concern. The largest tome, and possibly the most important piece of the equipment within, was missing. Abe shuddered at thinking of the text being stolen. He suddenly noticed a small silver bracelet lying in the box. He picked it up and looked at it carefully. A slight smile formed on his blue face. "Titania."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Titania," Nuada groaned as he tried to stand. He had felt his heart begin to beat more rapidly as the first memory he had ever acquired (his naming ceremony) had passed. The thoughts of what had transpired the moments before his mind had been examined were hard to grasp. He found it difficult to recall whether or not some of the memories were dreams and when, as well as where, he truly was. Finally, he had remembered entering the gnome's realm rather unceremoniously several hours prior. The human girl, Titania, had been with him. Being entirely unaccustomed to either the magical realm or heavy tasks like the one before them, she had been most distressed by a bloody display leading into the quarry and then had trapped both of them in a dome of memory glass. Had he moved faster, had he simply walked a few steps further without her, he would not have been taken prisoner as well. He would have to have a stern word with her about this when he was through with the Gnome King. She would, no doubt, be a permanent fixture in completing the task of reading the map and even finding where the Faerie Ring was located. Afterwards, he would be free of ever needing another human in his presence again. That thought made a fire burn in his chest, giving him strength to rise. The other thought, the thought of being rid of Titania, almost stung. She was intriguing, almost amusing. Still, there would be no room for mercy in the war against mankind. The humans that defied the magical realms would all be destroyed, even if that meant a few innocent casualties.

"He wakes," the gravel-voice of the Gnome King announced. "Splendid."

Nuada growled and reached behind him for the hilt of his spear. His heart sank as he realized that his wrists were bound by irons. He opened his eyes more fully and noted that the irons were connected, by very short chains, to two large boulders. The boulders sat on either side of where he knelt. Knelt? How had he come t be here? Surely he had not been so unconscious that the gnomes had been able to move him. The room was enormous, an echo of a breeze passing the tips of the elf's keen ears every so often. It was dark, lit only by a few torches and old miner's lamps that burned on pedestals around the central point of interest; the Gnome King's throne. The throne was a huge stone structure that sat atop a large staircase hewn into the side of the stone wall. The throne itself had been carved with troll symbols and encrusted with so many jewels that Nuada was sure it would have made a sparkling shell all its own if the stone gave way. He glanced from side to side, trying to locate how many gnomes were present, how many enemies he would be facing. His head was still clearing from the glass's spell as he counted. _One, two, three, twenty, four, seven, no_, he thought to himself.

He breathed deeply and narrowed his eyes, counting the gnomes that had gathered behind him as best he could. There were well over a hundred of them in here alone. He heaved a sigh of irritation. Many of them would scatter as soon as he attacked, but until then the more bold craftsmen would come at him until they were in pieces. Gnomes were not only unintelligent, they were relentless. Their skill in creating machinery and harvesting stone was, no doubt, one of the first things they had stolen after their creation. Few of the magical creatures liked to speak of gnomes, but Nuada had been fascinated by the unsavoury creatures of the realms. In the end, many of them had proven to be loyal servants of his.

"Oberon has been waiting for your arrival, my prince," the Gnome King laughed. Nuada looked back towards the throne. A few more lanterns were lit as it became clear that the elf's attention was fixed where it should be. The Gnome King was larger than the rest of his kind. He was clad in layers of chains and strings of broken glass. A crown of barbed wire and electric cord lay on his bald, stone-like head. The gnomes themselves looked to have been fashioned from ugly rock, warped and twisted by heat into creatures with limbs fit only for the same twisted creativity that had brought them into being. The king's face was cragged and narrow, testifying in shape to his lengthy time spent here beneath the earth. Nuada was, no doubt, older, but the king had aged more. The elf watched in silent rage as the king held a small object up in one hand. It was an oval of silver with tiny carvings and an emerald fused into the top. "I believe, by looking into the girl's mind, this is what you were after. My grandfather's celestial compass."

_Fool_, Nuada thought to himself with a smirk. _You make it far too easy for me to complete this task. I kill you, take the compass, and be will be done with this in a matter of minutes_.

"Here sire," one of the lesser gnomes said as it scrambled up to the throne and handed the king a small scroll. Nuada turned away, beginning to pull furiously at the irons. He knew he could find the strength to break metal if he could concentrate. He breathed deeply, focusing the strength into his back and shoulders as he pulled one arm in one direction and the other in the same manner, each without any result other than frustration. He grunted and began trying to pull forward.

"It appears my message to Oberon about your presence here was quickly received," the Gnome King said proudly. "He was always more efficient than any of the other royals."

"Oberon is not royalty," Nuada growled softly. The old gnome smirked and tossed the parchment to the side.

"What is 'right to rule' next to the strength in taking a crown?" he sneered. "That does not matter. I have orders from Oberon to deliver your remains to him once he calls your people together." Nuada's eyes lit with a hateful glare. "It seems that the elves are having a time accepting another to reign over them. I believe he is right in thinking that their stone prince will convince them to be more docile."

The prince roared angrily and threw his body forward, pleading with his strength to bend the iron holding him back. He groaned and fell to one knee, still prisoner of the iron bands and the gnomes. He panted heavily as two gnomes came to stand on either side of him. As he looked up, he felt a greater anger surge through him seeing that these two wielded his spear and the bokun. The Gnome King smiled brightly.

"Coward!" Nuada shouted. The king laughed as the elf lunged forward again. "Release me and fight me properly!"

"I am not a fool, Silverlance. Any creature that can remove itself enough from a natural spirit to slaughter human females is not an enemy I am prepared to face," he replied motioning to the farthest corner of the stairs beside his throne. Nuada turned and gazed in horror at the sight of Titania's lifeless form lying at the base of the stairs. She was a good twelve feet away at least. He snarled and pulled all the harder at the chains. "You are without any recourse for aid, elf. Your kind have abandoned you in your selfish ambition. Odd that it will be a creature with a fouler ambition that they bow before now."

"Never!" Nuada shouted and strained more firmly with his right arm. If he could free his right hand, then he would be at a somewhat greater advantage. He often favoured the right in more difficult combat. The Gnome King grinned and waved his hand.

"The royal line of elves ends once and for all," he announced. "Kill him."

Nuada felt a stream of fear swirl around his heart as he realized that he would be unable to defend himself. He breathed heavily and found himself regretting the choice to continue on this task. He should have stayed in the forest and waited for word on Nuala. He thought back to the small ray of hope that had glistened within him that morning. Nuala had to be alive, he felt it. He couldn't die now, not when he was so close to being back in control of the crown and complete with his sister once again.

--------------------------

Titania stirred, feeling the spell from the glass clearing as her eyes fluttered open. Her hearing was returning slowly, but she could not yet make out words. The few words that she could actually piece together were not in English. They sounded like the harsh Gaelic that Misses Badcrumble often spoke in when irate, but different somehow. Still, she could hear voices, male voices. One of them was familiar and the other entirely unpleasant. The familiar voice; it was the elf, the prince, Nuada. He was unharmed and both were alive. She struggled to sit upright and look around. She groaned and grasped her head as she scanned the scenery.

The dark room was filled with hideous stone like creatures gathered around the prince who knelt, chained between two boulders, at the centre of the base of a staircase. At the top of the stairs was the elaborate throne of the Gnome King. Titania felt all the thoughts and theories she had formed earlier that day come flooding back to her. She began to look around frantically for the carrier that she had brought with them. She smiled brightly at seeing it lying next to her. There were a few scratches and dents in it from where someone must have tried to open it quickly and improperly. She reached out for it.

"Wow, gnomes really are stupid," she muttered to herself as she clicked open the latch that released the cover. She was amazed that none of her captors were turning to see that she had begun moving. As she glanced over to see what had their attention so emphatically, her heart tumbled into her stomach. Two gnomes now stood in front of Nuada with his weapons raised, ready to deal two deathblows simultaneously to the prince. She gasped and reached in to the carrier, quickly taking an egg in each hand. As the gnomes began to drive the weapons downward, Titania hurled the eggs, carefully aiming at both of the creatures. She had been an unusually good shot at the firing range in New Jersey. Hopefully, for the prince's sake, the same would ring true now.

-----------------------------------------

Nuada felt nothing short of terror cause him to freeze as the gnomes readied to slay him. In an instant, a flash of white streaked past and hit the gnome to his left. It staggered backwards screaming as the object broke onto his face. In a few seconds, the gnome had begun to disintegrate as it writhed on the ground. The prince smirked. Eggs, he now remembered hearing as a child that they were extremely poisonous to gnomes. Nuada heard the other screaming as it too met with one of the white projectiles. He turned and saw Titania standing and beaming, holding the open carrier of eggs. The gnomes turned and began hissing and screaming.

"Leave the elf, kill the human!" the Gnome King shouted angrily. Titania smiled and began throwing more eggs at each attacker. The gnomes withdrew small blades made from more sinister materials than metal as they raced towards the girl. Titania met the challenge gracefully, throwing egg after egg into the shrieking crowd. "Poison! She has poison! Defend your king!"

Nuada smiled, congratulating the girl silently as he turned back to the boulders. He felt a renewed strength at seeing a crack in the boulder to his right. He grunted and sent all of his muscular energy to his right blade and thrust it forward and to the left, shattering the rock. The chain dangled limply from his wrist as he reached down and took hold of the bokun. He growled as he raised it and slammed it into the chain connecting his left wrist. The bokun splintered into several shards as the chain broke as well. He shouted triumphantly, rolling forward and sweeping the spear into his right hand. As he did so, he swept the blade across the fallen gnome's chest, spraying blood for the first time since his rebirth. A jolt of lightning struck him at the sight of the fluid grazing the blade as the gnome fell in a heap to the earth. It was . . . fulfilling.

He stood, twirling the blade once in ecstasy. This was his calling. He had forgotten the pleasures in the warrior's path. The satisfaction he had once derived from seeing the life force of an adversary spill onto the ground had almost slipped from his memory entirely. He turned, a newer and more passionate fire burning in his amber eyes as he stared hungrily at the gnomes. Beneath their stony surface were the same veins and vessels of any living creature, all filled with life-sustaining dark blood for now. He raced forward, sweeping the blade upward and to the left. As he had theorized, many of the gnomes began to run shrieking into the rest of the fortress. The three that had been in his path fell screaming to the ground. He turned, not wanting to miss the satisfaction of seeing the fallen enemies. As he stood admiring his work, two more attacked from the right flank, lingering angrily at the sight of their comrades.

Nuada snarled and knelt, impaling the first attacker and slamming him into the ground. The second shrieked in horror as the elf scraped the gnome's body from the end of the spear and leapt after the second. He raised the spear, leaping high into the air. The gnome stopped and gasped as the spear came down into his chest. Nuada landed, watching the mist of life departing around him with a strange joy. It seemed that no matter how much satisfaction he was beginning to derive from this display, a greater hunger for it was growing within him.

----------------------------------------------

Titania began trembling as gnome after gnome leapt at her. The supply of eggs was limited and she needed to save one for the gnome king himself. It was always necessary in stories to defeat the king of the creatures one was facing in order to escape. She looked down quickly, noting that she had only the single egg intended for the gnome king left. She gasped and slammed the case shut. The egg would be protected by the lining, but she could not waste the last real weapon that they had. She shouted angrily and began swinging the heavy carrier at the gnomes, knocking several off their stony feet. Three more attacked in their place causing Titania to move backwards. Her heels touched the base of the stairs. She frowned and began moving up the stairs, still swinging the carrier furiously. This was not going to last. She shrieked as a gnome leapt at her and landed squarely, heavily, on her chest.

Suddenly, the gnome screamed in pain and a mist of grey blood streamed from the tip of a silver spear impaling the creature through the heart. Titania gasped and began scrambling backwards as Nuada withdrew the spear and sent the corpse of the gnome flying. The prince raised the spear and swung it menacingly in several directions in turn, watching a look of horror appear on the faces of the lesser gnomes. The creatures were now realizing that the reputation of the warrior prince was well deserved. Nuada finally took hold of the staff in two hands and aimed for a gnome at the head of the crowd. The creatures shrieked and began to run towards the dark unknown at the far end of the room. The elf smiled and continued to race after them. Kneeling and sweeping to either side with the blade, he was able to dispatch ten more before it became too dark to see. He rose, snarling and feeling an incredible intoxication filling him. He had not felt so alive in years. He roared into the darkness, giving an animalistic display of dominance in this 'primal high'. He turned, smiling to Titania who still stood on the staircase leading to the throne. The gnome king was nowhere in sight. Nuada frowned and began moving towards her.

Titania frowned as well, wondering what had taken the prince's mind off of his incredible strength. She heard a small scraping on the floor behind her, followed by a strange fizzle. Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. She had always been able to smell electricity, an odd power that she had been told was common among certain women, and now felt the room filling with it. She turned and froze as the angry Gnome King suddenly began rising from the stone in the floor. He growled loudly, brandishing an old, long cattle prod. Titania turned to run towards the prince.

Nuada felt his heart skip a single beat as he saw the form of the old gnome rising behind the girl. As she turned towards him, the elf could clearly see the enormous rod in his hands. It appeared to be about the same size as his spear and was fizzling with raw power. He sped to the staircase, reaching out to pull the girl out of the way. As his hand grasped her shoulder, a surge of energy began flowing through them. The prince and the girl screamed in shock and pain as the gnome's weapon lingered at the base of her right shoulder. Less than a moment later, Titania sank to the ground while Nuada stumbled a step backwards. Being made of stronger flesh, bone, and blood, the prince was not as incapacitated. He looked down at Titania, grasping his head as a stream of images flooded his mind. Childhood, school, playing with friends . . . Titania's memories. The spell had not cleared the girl's mind and now they had been exposed to one another's pasts. He groaned and dropped the spear as the gnome advanced.

"Your father was never this bothersome even in his youth," the king snarled. "You act like a human; pity you do not share their frailties."

Nuada breathed deeply and turned his burning gaze to the gnome. "What did you say?" he growled.

"You act like a human, Nuada," the gnome laughed cruelly. "I wonder if those markings you sport are not some sort of testimony to your mother's infidelity. Twins are not common among elves, but then neither are . . ."

Before the gnome could finish, Nuada had swept the spear back into his right hand and charged at the king, remaining frighteningly silent as he furiously made small, precise cuts towards the gnome's chest. The king parried each blow with the rod desperately. The look of hatred on the prince's face was something that frightened the king more than the sight of the eggs the girl had carried. Nuada did not, by reputation, allow anything that had insulted him to live. Finally, Nuada found that the king was growing frantic and careless. With a large swipe at the gnome's left side, the king slammed the rod over the spear and held it out beside them. Nuada smiled and quickly swung the hilt of the blade upward, bashing the gnome in his stony face. The king cried out in surprise and pain, stumbling a fraction. The fraction was enough to give the prince the advantage he so desired at the moment. He lunged forward, plunging the spear between the chains surrounding the creature with a triumphant roar. The king screamed, gurgling as he dropped to his knees with the spear imbedded in his chest. Nuada sighed with relief and thrust the spear to the right, cutting the gnome into perfect halves. The stone king gasped a last breath as his body fell to pieces on the ground.

The elf turned and looked towards Titania. She was lifting herself from the floor and looking around. The prince's eyes narrowed in concern as he saw that she was trembling. She seemed as terrified now as she had been at seeing the bloody scene in the quarry. He sighed and began walking towards her, allowing the spear to shrink back to a more portable size. The girl turned to him, a look of sheer terror emblazoned on her face. He tilted his head to one side, trying to make out what had made her so afraid. The sight of the enormous bruise and cut on her face made his stomach lurch. He had injured her terribly in his panic. He would have to call on the Clionatha to heal her as soon as they left.

"Behind you!" Titania shouted.

Nuada stopped and turned, glancing behind him. His heart began racing as he watched the stone remains of the gnome king gurgle and twist towards one another. The two halves quickly fused into a uglier, angrier gnome as it stood upright. The gnome panted and reached into the remainder of the ancient, brittle chains that formed his robes. Nuada willed the spear to extend once more as the gnome withdrew a long, jagged glass dagger. The king raced towards the elf with a shrill screech. Nuada instinctively ducked, causing the gnome to tumble over him and roll to a position in front of the girl.

The prince felt another surge of fear at realizing he had just put the girl in harm's way once again. The king growled and scrambled to his hands and knees. In a flash, Titania slammed the carrier into his face, sending him rolling down the stairs. The king came to rest in a heap as the girl fumbled with the lock. She opened the case hurriedly and hurled the final egg at the Gnome King's exposed head. The egg broke into a slimy mess on the creature as he began writhing and screaming. Nuada smiled and raced to join Titania. The two stood silently for a moment, a look of horror instead of relief still plain on the girl's features. Nuada frowned and opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong. The gnome let out a final scream of pain as the floor began to rumble. Titania looked around the room in fear.

"What is happening?" the elf asked in confusion, somehow expecting the human to know the answer.

"The fortress is destroyed along with the king," she said. Her eyes widened. "The compass!"

Before Nuada could say a word, Titania turned to the staircase and began hurrying to the base, trying her best to keep her balance despite the earth trembling. The ceiling overhead began to shed large sheets of rock. Nuada dodged a large slab and watched Titania. The girl was only five steps from the base when she, herself, tumbled and landed painfully beside the dwindling pile that was the Gnome King. The elf hurried after her, hoping to stop any further atrocities from taking hold of her in his presence. He reached the base of the stairs in five long strides. Titania had been at herself enough to crawl to the bubbling ex-gnome. She reached into the centre, drawing in all concentration and focus, and fished around until grazing the solid edge of a circular object. She grunted and pulled the compass free of the sticky substance, staring in disgust at her blackened hand. The prince landed an inch from her, quickly taking her by the arm and lifting her to face him.

"Let us hurry," he said glancing towards the exit. A small measure of satisfaction and relief was forming within him. They had completed the task and were both quite alive. "I doubt even eggs will make a safe passage for us now," he laughed as he began to race towards the nearest doorway. Shock filled him as Titania refused to move with him. She furiously pulled her arm away and stepped backwards. Nuada turned and stared at her in frustration. "Come along, Titania! We must hurry!"

"No," she said softly staring at him in disbelief. Nuada narrowed his amber eyes as she looked down. "You want to kill me."


	16. Words in Haste

**Chapter 16**

Titania stood staring at the prince with a strange fear and sadness churning in her eyes. Nuada sighed heavily and grasped her firmly by the arm. To his surprise, she began to fight him. He turned as she threw the compass towards him. He caught it in one hand, slipping it into his belt and then firmly grasping her other shoulder with the other hand. She shrieked and pulled free, stepping back three paces. The prince narrowed his eyes angrily.

"What has come over you?!" he demanded loudly.

"I saw what you did! I saw what you did to my friends!" she shouted as a tear streamed down her cheek. Nuada recognized the strange swirling behind her eyes as being the recollection of knowledge. His memories must have been pouring through her mind. She began trembling. "You just walked up to the compound and started killing people!"

A loud crash caught the elf's attention momentarily as another, larger slab of rock hit the ground and completely crushed the magnificent throne. He growled and leapt forward, this time taking Titania in his hands with a steely grip. He glared down at her for a moment and then began to run towards the door. Titania began screaming protests mingled with accusations like 'murderer' and 'creep'. The prince ignored her shouting. Clearly, she was panicking as he had done beneath the dome of memory glass. He would have to do his utmost to ignore this nonsense until they were safe and he could call for help. As the two made their way to the door, Nuada felt his nerves light with a flicker of anxiety. Something was about to threaten his life. He instinctively looked towards the ceiling as the doorframe groaned and began to crack. He shouted in frustration, trying to hurry through before it collapsed.

"Blazing fire of the otherworld!" he shouted angrily. Titania turned and began glancing nervously for an alternate exit. Most of the other doorways leading into the throne room were already caved in except for one. This doorway was obviously not widely used as it was higher up on the wall. She frowned. "Now what do we do!?"

A loud, and rather misplaced, whinnying suddenly came from the other side of the room. Nuada turned and stared in amazement as the sight of an enormous white horse came bounding towards them. Hope and relief suddenly filled him. Titania froze and stared in shock as the horse skidded to a halt beside them.

"Quickly, your highness!" the horse said with a nod toward its back. Titania gasped. Nuada said nothing as he leapt onto the horse's back in one fluid movement. He quickly leaned down with one hand extended towards the girl. Titania hesitated. "Hurry, forest child!"

"Enough of this," Nuada growled. He lunged forward, grasping the horses mane for balance as he swept Titania up in one arm. Titania breathed deeply and remained still as he pulled her onto the horse in front of him sideways, still grasping the horse's mane as he held tightly to her. The horse reared back and gave a loud snort as she began galloping towards the wall. Titania frowned in confusion and closed her eyes as they drew closer to the stone edge of the throne room. "Hold on, Titania!"

"Why? Aaaaggggghhhh!" she screamed as the horse turned and suddenly leapt high into the air, trampling nothing but air as it hurried across the other side of the room. The girl felt disconnected from her body as the earth left them and the horse continued galloping fluidly, nearing the unused doorway near the ceiling. She closed her eyes once again as the horse's hooves collided with the metal doorframe, kicking it down effortlessly. The horse whinnied proudly as they galloped over the trembling quarry, heading back for the forest.

"You were just in time," Nuada remarked as the beast began to slow to a slow trot. "I was sure something awful was going to happen and it would take us days to get out of that mess they called a fortress."

"Never thinking of the end; how I have missed you, my prince!" the horse replied with a laugh. She suddenly stopped and pawed her front left hoof once, signaling for the two to dismount. Titania continued to stay still and allowed the prince to climb off with her. The two stood and watched as the magnificent white mare reared back once again. This time, her form shrank and slimmed into the beautiful figure of a young woman. The flawless beauty turned to face them. Titania noted that the woman's skin was nearly as pale as Nuada's and her hair was the same white and gold. Pure white robes and a white cloak formed her garments that glistened in the sunlight. "Your highness," she said with a low bow. "The Morrighan has told us all of your return. The Clionatha confirmed it. The Modron is waiting for you in the Faerie Ring, she is most anxious for your return to the throne."

"So am I, Epona," he said moving away from Titania. "Where is the Clionatha? I need her to help a friend of mine." The elf gestured towards Titania. The Epona smiled brightly and started towards the girl.

"No need for that, I am quite useful as a healer as well," she said as she took the girl gently by the hand. "She is not near death, my skills are sufficient."

"Good, Puck should return shortly with news of my sister," Nuada said smiling. "Then the girl and I can wait in the forest for the eclipse. It will be a good three days until . . ."

"I'm not helping you!" Titania suddenly shouted. Nuada turned to her, The Epona and the prince stared at the girl in concern. Nuada's concern quickly turned to anger. "You can . . . you can read this stuff yourself. I'm not doing anything else with you . . . you . . . you jerk!"

"How dare you speak to me like this!" he shouted. "I just saved your life, ungrateful human!"

"You are the reason I was in danger!" she retorted nearly losing her voice. The Epona placed a hand on the girl's back trying to steady her as her breathing became choppy. She reached into her white robes and withdrew a small vial, pouring the fluid in it onto her hand as she placed it back quickly. Nuada frowned and found himself only able to see the girl's desperate eyes and the wound he had inflicted. The Epona carefully swiped her hand slowly over the girl's wound, causing it to disappear as the woman's hand moved over it. Titania stared at him angrily. "You've strangled me, cut me, hit me, insulted me, you're ruining my time in my family's forest, and you destroyed what little time I get with my father!"

"What on earth are you going on about?" he demanded with a tone of concern in his voice. He took a step towards her. Titania jerked backwards, displaying the more physical manifestation of her anger and fear. "Titania, what are you talking about?"

"I saw the city, what you did at the bureau, what you did to Red! You almost killed him! You just left that spear in him and hoped he would die!" she shouted waving her hands in frustration. "You wanted to kill Abe and Liz, too! What is your malfunction?! What have any of us ever done to you!?"

Nuada's eyes widened as he realized what she was referencing. He closed his eyes momentarily and recalled the memories he had attained from her. Of course, why had he not sensed it in her from the start? "Anung un Rama," he said softly. He sighed heavily and opened his eyes, staring at her with the start of remorse. "You must understand, Titania, I only want what is best for my people, for our people. Your friend wanted to end, wants to end our way of life. Surely you did not expect me to sit by while it was destroyed? What would you have done?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't have started killing people, people with families who weren't even harming you!" she screamed back. Nuada felt that she was not only speaking of the demon; the guards he had dispatched to enter the compound must have been acquaintances of hers as well. He frowned and looked to the side. He needed her to read the map, the Morrighan had said so. Not to mention the fact that she was in need of him, she could not come to understand what she truly was being among mortals. "I don't know, Nuada," she sobbed. The Epona turned and looked at the prince in confusion. "I don't know what I am doing out here and what you really are, but I am not going to let this ruin what little magic I still believe in."

"Titania," he began comfortingly, trying to move towards her.

"Just leave me alone!" she shouted backing away. The Epona frowned and walked to the girl's side. Titania breathed heavily as she glared at the prince. "I never want to see you again, or anything like you, EVER!"

"Then do as your ancestors promised and stay out of my forests!" he shouted in return. Titania froze and became silent. The prince breathed deeply for a moment, lowering his voice. "If the humans had done what they were supposed to in the first place . . ."

"Enough!" the Epona interjected. Nuada turned to her angrily. The lady bowed her head to him in slight reverence. "Your highness. The morning and afternoon have been a difficult trial for you both. I will return you, my dear, as swiftly as I can so that you may rest at home," she said looking down at Titania. "You, my prince should wait here until I return for you. You will need the next few days to recover more strength and sharpen your skills all the greater. Oberon will be waiting for your coronation as well."

"Oberon is not the enemy I prepare for," he growled moving away. "When I find my sister and the passage to the ring we can finally undo the wickedry that humanity has brought on the earth."

"Your sister is not here," the Epona said simply. Nuada whirled around and stared at the woman in horror. She sighed and knelt, taking Titania onto her back as she transformed back into horse form. "Wait here, my prince. I believe your friend was quite exhausted and is still resting. He will be back to you shortly before I am."

Nuada glanced once more at Titania who now showed no affection or admiration towards him. He had only recently been annoyed by the silly infatuation she had held for him, but now she showed only a relative of hatred. He looked away, feeling a tear form in his heart. She was an elf spirit and, like the other elves, saw him as a cruel and senseless being. He heard the hooves of Epona disappear into the distance with Titania. This was the end of his time with yet another creature he had wanted to call friend. He sat on the ground, folding his legs to his chest and staring pensively into nothing. There had to be something he could do to regain her trust. She was not human and he was not evil, he would simply have to make her see that.

As they rode into the forest swiftly, Titania felt a hot tear form for every word she had shouted coupled with every memory she had been given. What kind of story was this forming? What sort of elf goes into a crowd of people and simply kills them? Misses Badcrumble had been right in the beginning. The girl felt her limbs grow numb and pain finally begin to set in over the wound on her face. The Epona glanced back at her as they sped impossibly through the forest.

"Such a pity, I've never seen that before in his eyes," the horse said sadly. Titania looked down at her in confusion. "He really does care for you. It's almost as if he doesn't realize you are what you are. Strange, it's not like him at all. Then again, he may be changing; all creatures can do that, you know. Even enchanted ones."

Titania sighed and suddenly remembered something. Despite all the hurt and anger she was feeling she needed to keep in mind that Nuada was not an ordinary magical being, he was under an evil spell. She frowned and forced away the tears. How could she ignore such atrocities simply because he was enchanted? She needed to consult the book one more time and perhaps show the passage to Misses Badcrumble. If the prince was beginning to change, then perhaps he needed to be with his own kind all the sooner.

----------------------------------------------

Abe and Nuala had gone back to bed promptly and slept soundly. Leopold had remained quiet most of the night, but was usually a loud handful during the day. The fish-man wondered if this was because of his genetic abnormalities, but it would be difficult to assume whether something was normal for him either as an elf or as a human baby. The baby had been brought back with them only two days prior and was welcomed with warmth from even the security officials that barely saw the paranormal agents. Leopold had been brought a sturdy crib that acted as a cradle as well. It stayed near the fireplace in the library. The room was close enough to their own for them to hear when the boy needed them, but it would have been too cold to keep him in their own room. The doctor that had looked over Nuala and the infant had preached vehemently against the two keeping the baby in the same room with them even if he had his own bed to sleep in.

"You'll never get any rest and neither will the little guy," Red had said in agreement when speaking with Abe. "Besides, it'll be good for the two of you to have alone time. This happened pretty quickly for you."

Abe hadn't thought much about the speed at which the events in his life were taking place. The one and only moment he had allowed himself to think about it, he had hurt Nuala's feelings and felt himself become overwhelmed. He needed to live in the now and think about only the tasks at hand. At the moment, the two could rest comfortably at night which was something not many new parents could boast.

The two stirred as someone began knocking loudly on the door. It was too loud to be anyone but Abe's best friend. Abe began to scoot off of the bed as the door suddenly came open.

"Oh, sorry about that guys," Red muttered as he pulled the door nearly closed. "Morning, your highness," he said with a wave. Nuala smiled slightly and looked towards her husband. "Come on, Abe. Manning's got a rep from the feds to talk to us about our terms of employment."

"Today?" Abe asked in surprise.

"Yeah, better hurry and get dressed. Liz and I are going to wait in the conference room on the third floor at the end of the hall. Meet us there," he said as he pulled the door closed the rest of the way.

Abe sighed and turned back to Nuala as a soft cry began ringing from the library. Nuala grinned and climbed out of the bed. She drew a robe around her pale form and walked towards the library door.

"Our son is awake," she remarked happily. "I will go and see to him."

Abe walked after her slowly, a few anxious scenarios playing through his mind. Nuala walked over to the crib and withdrew the small, warm bundle that had brought them both a great deal of change. She smiled peacefully and sat down, drawing the child to her chest.

"Darling, perhaps it would be best if you and Leopold stayed here," he offered. Nuala looked up at him inquisitively as Leopold's cry faded into his mother. "It might not be safe."

"Why not, Abraham?" she asked, wondering what sort of dangers there could be in simply going to a meeting for negotiations. Even her brother had stayed his hand at negotiations between enemies. "What should we be afraid of?"

"Well, there's quite a bit of a stir at the capitol from the news of Red and Liz getting married, our union, and now our baby. I'm just worried that someone might try to do something terrible to protest all of this, or worse, try to separate us from him," Abe reasoned. Nuala frowned and looked away. He was right of course, there would be the danger of unacceptance on many levels. She had hoped that by some fluke of fate that they might have escaped any negativity. Things were uncertain enough for them as separate people and members of unrecognized communities, but together they were at even greater odds with the rest of the world. Abe frowned as well, watching his wife and new child sit quietly. Leopold fed as his mother cradled him gently against her, staring into something invisible. "On second thought," Abe said as he neared the two. The sight of something so beautiful, so pure despite their differences was inspiring. "They really should hear from us, from all of us."

Nuala smiled and softly kissed the top of Leopold's pallid crown. Fine, white hair was beginning to form a soft cap. "I believe we will have enough strength to demand what is right," she said. "I believe your friends will do the same as well."

"I just hope Manning is as understanding as I've always thought him to be," Abe sighed. This meeting would be one of the most difficult things the group would do. The two dressed quickly after Leopold had finished. Nuala wrapped him tightly in one of the emerald receiving blankets and followed her husband out into the hallway. Abe led the way up to the conference room where Liz, Red, and Dr. Krauss sat waiting.

"Gutten morgen, Herr und Frau Sapien," the doctor said cheerfully. "I trust that you are both enjoying this new venture in your life together?"

"Most assuredly," Abe said smiling brightly. He placed a hand gently on Nuala's shoulder and the other on Leopold. "It is not quite what I expected, but I believe I can handle it."

"He is very even natured. Mother said that Nuada was that way, but that I required her attention nearly all day," Nuala added, watching the child intently. She seemed almost more fascinated than simply concerned.

Liz watched the two with concern of her own. This, like most everything else in the compound, didn't seem real. She had grown accustomed to simply moving through daily life as though it were a dream, but she knew that parenthood, especially with Red and his offspring, would be no dream. She sighed heavily as her cell phone began ringing. Red and the others turned to her with an almost reproachful stare.

"What?" she replied glancing at the number. "I forgot to turn it off. Hold on a minute, I need to take this." She pressed the accept key and held the receiver to her ear. "Hi, Tania."

---------------------------------------

Titania breathed deeply as she tried to fight the urge to pour out everything that had happened over the past few days. She sighed and clenched her eyes shut as she spoke.

"Hi, Liz," she said, trying to sound as naturally happy as possible. "I couldn't get in touch with my dad on his cell phone. Is he there?"

"Not yet, sweetie, he's getting ready for a meeting. We're going to give those demands to someone from Washington," the pyro replied emotionlessly. Liz thought for a moment. Titania sounded reserved, saddened by something that she wouldn't readily share. "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" Titania said, praying for good news that would distract her from the awfulness she had just faced.

"Abe got married and he's a dad," Liz replied with a smile.

Titania's heart sank as she heard the voices protesting the revelation on the other end of the conversation. Titania had been entirely infatuated with Abe from the time she had been a little girl, but hadn't seen much of him towards the end of her recent visit. She had always loved the time they had spent together in the library. Between the lines of Wordsworth and the passages of Schwietzer, Titania had experienced first love. She knew, of course, that it was not something that could be made a reality, but that did not soften the blow at all. She had even momentarily been lost to the grip that Nuada's memories had held over her, unable to see that there had been another woman so taken by him. Had she been able to recall the scenes in her mind, she would have immediately inquired if the prince's sister was his lucky catch, told them about the prince, and then promptly demanded that they come and take him. Then again, Titania's mind had shifted significantly after being home for a few hours. She shook her head and drew in another deep breath. "Wow, that's great," she said as her voice began to break. "Is-is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy. Look, we'll have to talk later. I'll have your dad call you after the meeting, okay?" Liz said with a touch of sympathy for the girl's obvious disappointment in hearing that her first crush was now beyond her reach.

"Good, I need to talk to him about something," Titania said softly, glancing back at the nearest bookcase. The enormous borrowed tome lay open in front of it where she had emptied her backpack after arriving. She shifted and knelt, turning the cover over once. "Just tell him I need him to call me then you and I can talk later."

"Is everything okay? You sound like you were attacked," Liz remarked innocently.

Titania squeaked softly, holding the phone away as she sobbed for a moment. In truth, the real sadness that had overcome her was in how terribly she had spoken to Nuada. He was edgy enough to begin with. Now he would probably do as she had demanded and never speak to her again. The memories had jostled her, especially after the ordeal, but being so distant from danger made the memories less oppressive and real. She breathed deeply, speaking through a need to wail. "I'll talk about it later." Liz was about to inquire further into the situation, but the line went dead as Titania clicked the end key. She couldn't talk right now. She pulled the book into her lap, wiping tears away furiously. Ravi bounded into the room and dropped to the floor behind her, laying his chin affectionately on her shoulder. Titania trembled as she gripped the book and sobbed. "Oh, Ravi," she whispered. "He hates me now,_ I_ hate me."

The tiger grunted and lowered his head, pushing his muzzle under her elbow. She glanced down, noticing that she had turned to the very page she had needed to reference. The words that had been scribbled in English by Abe lay on the floor near her bed several inches away. Titania sighed. She hadn't remembered to pick the paper up and put it back. She reached forward, groaning as her fingers grazed the surface of the paper. She struggled to pull it towards her, unfolding it as it neared her leg. She picked it up and looked over it more cautiously than before.

"_N__**o spirit can never love impart. And if love but for a moment finds, sorrow in his wounded mind, desperation's healing is, the purity in . . ."**_

She narrowed her eyes at the passage as the tiger began rolling on the floor behind her. She held it aloft and frowned. "I have to help break this spell, Ravi," she replied softly. "Not just for him . . . for everyone else, too." She glanced down at her arm, the one that she had used to retrieve the compass. She gasped at noting a small amount of the black sludge remained on her arm. She shrieked slightly as it began to grow. She leapt to her feet and flailed her arm furiously. In a flash, the spot disappeared. She sighed and sat back down, staring at the book. She had to finish this; the fantasy world was exhausting.


	17. Enchanted

**Chapter 17**

Oberon shouted angrily and threw a large chalice at the maimed gnome delivering the message. The gnome trembled and began whimpering as the dark faerie seethed. He stormed back to his throne and called for one of his birds. The gnome stood waiting, trembling and continuing to try and explain what had happened in the quarry.

"It was not the prince alone, your majesty, there was a girl, a human girl with him. She knew of poisons and killed our king," the gnome stammered. "They were too great."

"A human too great for the Gnome King? That is as ludicrous as the idea of Nuada using one!" the false king ranted. "I know of the prince's curse more deeply than anyone, he would not be near another human unless . . ." His eyes widened in a horrific revelation. "It cannot be, we destroyed all the humans of the first truce, all the men that served Balor. All of them . . ."

"Your majesty, if I might return home," the gnome said softly.

Oberon snarled and reached out his hand as one of the raven's flew near him. The raven dropped a small egg into the angered faerie's hand. The gnome cowered and began shrieking. Oberon ignored the cries for mercy and hurled the egg at the creature. The gnome collapsed into a writhing mess of black magic. Oberon smiled and began walking towards the pool of putrid filth. The faerie withdrew a dagger from his robes and a vial as well. He leaned down and began scraping the black sludge into the mouth of the vial with the dagger. "Seth! Come now!" he ordered. In a flash, a large hound darted into the room and howled. It lowered its head reverently as it rose to its hind legs and waited for instruction. Oberon threw the dagger and the vial at the creature, staring harshly at him. The hound caught them and stared back at the king expectantly. "Go to Bethmoora forest quickly. Find Prince Nuada and drive that dagger into his chest," he commanded. The hound bowed its head and lowered to the ground once again. "One more thing," the faerie said as the hound-lord prepared to leave promptly. He turned and stared back at the king, his red eyes hungering for a great amount of blood. "Take that vial for the human girl. See that she suffers for the rest of her natural life."

Seth bayed for a moment, taking pleasure in the orders as he headed towards the passage that would take him beneath Bethmoora. Oberon smiled. There was little time left before the eclipse, but he had plenty of resources to keep the whelp from the throne.

----------------------

The Epona had returned quickly for the prince who had thought long and hard about the circumstances. Firstly, he was very close to reclaiming the throne and should not stray from the tasks at hand one bit. He also had to find his sister; she meant the world to him and he would not feel at rest until he knew where she had been reborn even if it meant crossing the sea once again. Before that, he needed to get Titania to the Faerie Ring where she would be safe. It was more than obvious now that she was not human. A human would not have accepted another creature's memories nor have been so outraged at simply the threat of loss.

She reminded him of Nuala in many ways. His sister was not nearly as openly curious, bold, emotional (which could be contributed directly to her humanity), or fierce when threatened, but they did have a similitude in compassion and timid presence. Puck had told the prince to see the girl as a child, but the prince could not help but see her as an elf that had very nearly reached adulthood. She was not human, he had felt something within him stir for her and no human could have done that.

"Wait here in the forest until the eclipse, sire," the Epona had said softly as they neared the tree-house. Nuada glanced down at the horse faerie for a moment. She whinnied and shook her head as she came to a halt. "There are only two days left, three nights as well. You would do well to fine tune your skills in protocol for the Faerie Ring's council, they will gladly accept you either way, but there will be less consternation if you appear less savage than the others living across the sea. You must also take your weaponry and continue to increase your skills as a warrior; the moment you face Oberon, and you will, there will be a battle."

"I will be ready," Nuada replied, his thoughts drifting away from the idea of battle. The Epona sensed this and smirked. It was not often that the prince's mind was drawn away from the idea of combat and the ferocity by which he could best his opponent. The prince hesitated and looked into the horse's eyes as he dismounted. "Nuala is alive, my lady, isn't she?"

The horse leaned down and drew its shoulders inward, transforming back into the pale maiden in white robes. She sighed heavily and bowed to him. "Your sister's presence is not easily recognized by the sisterhood, my prince." The elf frowned and looked away, wanting to hear that at least one of his theories was a certainty. The Epona smiled more brightly. "And yet the Morrighan spoke of her niece and nephew returning. She would not be mistaken."

"No," Nuada replied with a thoughtful smile. He was right, he was not alone. He turned back to meet the woman's gaze, almost unsure of what to say next to ask about the rest of what he had pondered. The Epona shifted, staring at the prince uncomfortably. If Nuada was feeling uneasy about something, then it was a good idea to assume that it was something incredibly disturbing. "My lady, what would cause the gods to curse an elf to live as a human?"

The Epona stared back in an even greater confusion. "As a human?" she repeated. He glanced to the side. "Do you mean, to be sentenced to life as a mere mortal?"

"Yes; what kind of betrayal would constitute such a grievous punishment?" he asked. He thought back on all of the things that he had done. Even in the name of freedom and the good of the earth, he had known in his spirit that it was wrong to simply take life. The justifications he had created for his hatred and the numerous people he had slain (the prince had taken to killing men that wandered the back streets near his subterranean dwelling long before he had broken the truce) had driven him quite mad in a sense. Still, he knew that he deserved a punishment nearly as great as Titania's, but what had the girl done as an elf to receive this kind of mark?

The Epona sighed and shook her head with an amused smile. "Your highness, life as a mortal would not be punishment. It would be difficult at first, but all of the pleasures that they enjoy and the senses that are granted would hardly be a punishment. I suppose that one of our kind could desire a life experience as a mortal and use magic to transform, that would be dodgy and hard to undo," the woman replied as she began to morph back into a horse once again. "I do believe that there were several scholars not long ago among the nymphs and she-elves of the Black Forest that had decided to try just that in order to teach humans to spare the forests. No one has heard from them since. Mortals are blessed with many gifts, your highness, some of them never enjoyed by our kind."

As the Epona finished giving him instructions for the next few days and bounded back into the forest with a fond goodbye, he thought of how best to try and assuage the explosion that had come from the girl. Several books in her small library told stories of two persons meeting at night. This was only to be expected, day was hardly quiet enough to understand deep messages and certainly not calm enough for reasoning. He would go to her that night. Surely she would feel differently by then. Puck, who had returned to the tree-house almost immediately after being sent into the forest having run across the Epona first, had watched in horror as the prince announced his intention and then headed for the mansion.

"But, sire, she is probably sleeping and quite unsettled by all of this!" the rabbit protested. "Do you not think that she will only see this as an invasion?!"

"Of course not," Nuada replied calmly. He smiled. "She is not what anyone expects, why should I try to predict any reaction at all? I know what I must say to her, I know what has cursed her."

"Sire, really, you must give up this ridiculous notion that you are befriending an enchanted elf-maid," the pwca said as he hopped hurriedly behind his master. "It is most tiring."

The elf ignored the comments and moved more quickly towards the mansion. There was little time left before the eclipse; it was best to deal with this situation now and prepare the both of them for the days to come. Titania would need to know a great deal about protocol and defense as well and he could not teach that to someone who was either angry or afraid of him. He would not need to apologize, per se, but he would need to make her trust him again. If there was one virtue that Nuada possessed, it was a gift of stirring speech. His silver spear was not nearly as effective a weapon as his silver tongue.

He walked hurriedly around the mansion until he found the side containing the girl's window. It would be easier to enter by a less proper means at this hour. He sniffed carefully, trying to sense where the girl was sleeping. His ears stood on end as he found the window that must have been hers. It was a good climb upward, but his dexterity was primed for such things. He fought against the urge to go back and simply wait for her to come back to the forest. There was no time for such things, he needed to act quickly. Once in power, he would be able to reunite himself with his sister, put the realms to right, and perhaps command the sisterhood to free the girl from her human prison.

He had gone over every kindness she had done for him since his arrival and had come to the conclusion that it was owed her. She was a friend without even having been asked to be. He made it swiftly to the window and peered in before silently entering .The girl's room was quiet and dark, but the prince could clearly make out the shapes of the bookshelves and other furnishings. Her bed was quite large, making her seem even smaller than he already knew her to be. Four enormous posts led up to a sheer canopy gathered at each corner that shrouded the bed in a cloth mist at its topmost border as she slept. Nuada wondered how the girl could sleep being so confined. He crept over the floor silently, glancing back at the open window. The heavy spear on his back glistened in the also silvery moonlight. He carefully took the hilt, unhooking the weapon from his back as he knelt and set it on the floor. Titania had been upset enough by the memories of him as a warrior, it would not do for her to see him enter her domicile so armed. He cautiously approached the side of the bed, watching the still form of the girl move only with each breath. She appeared nearly as pale as an elf in this light.

A soft growl caught the prince's attention. He turned, staring in surprise at the tiger that had just pushed its head through the doorway. The animal growled more loudly and began to advance. Before the prince could try to remove the creature, Titania stirred and sat upright. She gasped at the sight of the elf-prince standing several paces away from her bedside. She turned to Ravi and frowned.

"Out, Ravi, go," she ordered. The tiger lowered his head and grunted softly, keeping his paws firmly placed in the start of the room. She heaved a sigh. "Now." The tiger snorted in disapproval, but left the room immediately. She turned back to the prince as he faced her, unsure of how to begin this. She frowned and looked down, rubbing her shoulder nervously. She was even more unsure of what to make of him being there. "Your-your highness."

"Titania," he said, feeling a stern sense of duty fill him. He needed to speak his mind as he had rehearsed and then be done with it. This was the only way to make things right for the world, for him again. "I know that I have shed innocent blood and that there is nothing I can do to repay it," he said. His first inclination was to defend the shedding of the blood and try to once again explain to her that war was war whether innocents died or not. "There is, however, only one way to ensure that none others suffer the same fate. Humans must learn to honour the truce and my kind will have the land we are due." He noted the unchanged and saddened expression on the girl's face. _No, you fool, don't tell her more of what made her angry in the first place_, he chastised himself. _Speak of what she knows, what she understands, what can bring her comfort_. "That is, my people still need a crowned royal on the throne and someone to bring balance back to the realms," he corrected. He inched closer to the bed. "I-I cannot undo what I have done, not to anyone. I can only do greater the next day, seek to be tested and increase that which will benefit my kind and the earth. It is my duty as prince to rule with the best for my people as my banner and the peace of my kingdom as my scepter. I would see the forests restored, Titania." He moved a pace closer, hoping his words had begun to mean something inspiring to the girl that shared a similar ambition. She shifted. "In the meantime, I would not see you unhappy."

Titania drew in a deep breath, wanting to look back into his amber eyes shrouded in coal-black intensity, but she knew that the moment she looked into his face again she would be overwhelmed and commence to crying once again. "There's nothing that can really change what we are in our hearts," she said as she sighed heavily and drew her knees towards her, folding her legs into the lotus blossom pose. "We are what we are because of what we've chosen, I guess," she muttered.

"Yes! Yes, of course!" he said excitedly. Titania stared at him in confusion as he suddenly walked hurriedly to the bedside. "We are what we are by result of choice, but not by choice itself. Oh, Titania, you do understand more than I had realized!" he exclaimed as he suddenly took both of her shoulders. The girl jumped and stared at him anxiously. His expression fell slightly. Had he just insulted her again? He shook his head. "What I mean to say is, you and I have so much left to do. Please do not abandon your purpose, Titania, not because of me. I have always had my doubts about the Morrighan, but I know she brought us to one another for a reason. I am meant to keep you safe until . . ." He trailed off, wondering whether or not it would be tactful to say that he would gladly keep watch over her pitiful form until she was released and reborn. Perhaps not. He shook his head. Titania shifted uncomfortably as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "I will gladly keep watch over you."

Titania began trembling and felt her emotions take a leap ahead of her mind. She had to act now. She had felt strangely desperate at the thought of never seeing him again. It was as if his assumption in their connection was more than a kind word to ease her into completing the tasks with him; he truly meant it. She leapt out of the bed and threw her arms around him, sobbing softly. "Oh, Prince Nuada, I didn't mean what I said! I do want to see you again! I never want you to go away!" she wailed. The elf stood awkwardly with his arms out to either side for a moment as she sobbed into his chest. He felt her warm tears streaming down his tunic and their presence melted his need for superiority. He placed his own arms around her gently, stroking the back of her head with one hand. She breathed deeply, pulling her face away and leaning her cheek against him instead. "I was so angry. I still don't understand everything, but they weren't killed. You're here and my friends are alive."

"My sister lives as well," he said looking over her head with a smile. "I feel it fully. She is far from me, no doubt near Abraham."

Titania froze. Was it possible? She shook her head. Liz would have mentioned something like that. She leaned into him more fully and closed her eyes. "When you take the throne, where will you live?" she asked with a tone of sadness. "Are you always going to be near the forest, or will you need to be with the majority of your people?"

He sighed, still grasping her softly. "I will need to be near enough when they need me and they will need to be near enough when I need them. I do not wish to simply sit on a throne. Neither did father at the beginning. I wish to wear the crown, the crown can travel easily to where it pleases and is needed," he replied. "It is, after all, most difficult to wield a sword on a throne; quite easier wearing a crown."

She laughed and wiped her tears away with one hand, sniffing and composing herself as best she could. "Does that mean I can see you after you're crowned king?"

"I will not be king," he corrected. "I took my father's life, I will not take his title as well. A prince can rule just as well." He glanced down at the girl and smiled brightly. She appeared to be waiting as impatiently as the average human for his reply. He leaned down closer. "Yes, I will see you even after. It is fate. When you are freed, perhaps you would consider . . ." He stopped himself once again. He couldn't go on about her condition and he certainly couldn't say something as ridiculous as what he was thinking_. She is trapped as a human and you wish her to think of another life? Selfish, you fool, that is selfish_, he hissed inwardly.

"Freed?" Titania asked. He shook his head and began to walk back towards her bed, still holding her softly to him. "What did you mean?"

"It is nothing," he said dismissively. "There is little time left for us until the eclipse. It is only past this night and the next. You should rest; you have done a great service for me and more than once I might add."

She smiled and turned away, sitting back on the bed with a sigh. Her pajamas glowed almost blue in the moonlight that streamed in through the window. "I guess it's good night, then," she said twirling a lock of dark hair nervously. "Until tomorrow, your highness."

He nodded, watching her pull the covers back over small form and sink into the enormous bed. He stared at it enviously. A few nights ago the envy would have stemmed from the idea that a human girl was nearly living as royalty while he stayed like an animal in the forest. Instead, this jealousy was towards the bed and its coverings itself. They made her at peace, a more simple form of joy, but happiness none the less. He knew what she was, he had dreamt it and felt it as strongly as he had felt the presence of his sister as a child. Titania, the name itself bore a link to his world that could not be denied. He watched her slip easily back into a slumber, her eyes drifting beneath the lids. She had awakened rather quickly which had concerned him. He remembered well what being without sleep had done to him, a considerably stronger being than the girl. Luckily, she had gone back to sleep just as quickly.

Another overwhelming desire for action overcame him at seeing her pale skin and dream-filled orbs in the moonlight. Moonlight was more than sensual for his kind and he was now at himself enough to feel its tenderness. He moved silently to the bedside, leaning over her cautiously. He feared making a single sound and rousing her once again, but he also feared that if he left her now, he would never see her again. He closed his eyes, rationalizing that they would both need to be at their best these next two days. The Epona had instructed him to practice with his weaponry and protocol as vigorously as he could manage. Still, he did not want to leave her so abruptly. He breathed deeply, noting that her scent was not that of the average human either. She did not smell like steel and electricity, she smelled like bark, breeze, and water. A hint of hyacinth and heather lingered in her hair. She was nearly nymph-like. He smiled and leaned forward, brushing the hair from her brow with one hand as he softly kissed above her left eye and then the right. Titania shifted and sighed, causing the prince to freeze and remain frozen for a moment. When he was sure that he had not totally disturbed her, he quietly withdrew himself from the bed breathing carefully as he stepped away. He continued watching her as he retrieved his spear and placed it back in its sheath on his back. He turned as a low growl came from the doorway once again. He smirked and headed for the window.

"_Not play_," the tiger snarled as it sauntered back into the room.

Nuada shook his head and casually leapt out over the window-ledge. He swung down effortlessly and began walking back towards the woods. Puck stood waiting patiently, looking up at the prince with anticipation.

"Well?" the pwca asked. "What happened? Is she alright? Is she coming back?"

"Of course," the prince said continuing to move forward. Puck watched him uneasily. The prince seemed unusually calm and uncharacteristically happy. "She will always come back. We are destined to be so connected. I am glad to be back in Bethmoora."

Puck froze and watched as the prince moved ahead. He shook his head and scratched his hear pensively. The pwca knew that Titania was human and only human as well as he knew that the prince was dangerous. Still, perhaps the illusions of the two combined might make a spell just as binding for the two.

((Was anyone else as curious as I was about where Wink came from and how an elf prince, who was supposed to never have interaction with ogres, came to call him friend? I think I can explain . . .))


	18. Demands Met Meeting Wink

**Chapter 18**

"I'm not sure what the original issue was with getting these things done," the smiling, cheerful, spindly, blonde representative said sweetly. The woman was the young, and rather liberal, daughter of one of the New Jersey overseers of the bureau. The president had appointed him years ago when the girl had been a teenager. She had since been adamant about the idea of giving equal rights to paranormal beings. "The new facility, or community, would take a while, though. Everything else looks pretty cut and dry; just a few papers to fill out and some recruiting for the congressional hearing."

"What?!" Manning exclaimed. The rest of the group smiled brightly save for Liz. The pyro looked terribly uncomfortable and lost in thought. "There's no way our budget can handle all this!"

"Then we change the budget and make sure that congress understands the basic needs of each paranormal being. I'm sure that the young woman over there has very different medical needs than the others and certainly very different than a human being," the bright rep said glancing towards Nuala. "I am assuming by her energy that she is the one in need of the alternative medicine clause."

"The earth offers all we need to heal and be healed," Nuala said as Leopold began shifting and fussing. She looked down at the infant as he began to protest being away from his warm crib loudly. "I cannot see allowing my family to be prey to some of the things that have caused the evils that have damaged your people and the planet."

"I concur, there really aren't ways for medical doctors to do much in the way of treatment for non-human creatures when there is so little time and so much to learn in the ways of physiology," Dr. Krauss added. "More importantly, the issue of being acknowledged and accepted is more pressing for my team than fringe benefits."

"I fully understand," the representative said with a hand placed on her chest for emphasis. "I promise you, all of you, that you will see results within the next month. In fact, I can assure you that by the end of this week we will have the medical taken care of and at least a date set down for a hearing."

"Really?" Red asked in surprise. The woman turned to him with a sincere grin and nodded. "Hmm, I thought that this would take several weeks what with the government being involved."

"Oh, I assure you, Mr. . . ." the woman began rifling through the papers. She glanced down at the papers containing their names and rank. Nuala began trying more fervently to calm Leopold as he continued crying and growing more loudly. Liz turned to the mother and child for a moment before sighing uncomfortably and grasping her hands on either side of her head. " . . . Hellboy?"

"Is there someone else that was supposed to be joining us?" Manning asked anxiously. It made him look particularly evil to have such a dedicated professional giving the team comforting promises and strong reassurances. He reached into his pocket and took out one of the rolls of antacids that he kept for stress and Red's antics. He began chewing furiously as he continued to speak, ignoring the common courtesy of waiting until he was finished. "Because, with all the extremely stressful situations my agents face regularly, it really isn't right to make these promises without proper authority."

"Why don't you use your real name?" the woman offered.

Red frowned at her, both ignoring Manning. "It's just too long and not as attractive as, well, something else," the demon replied. Liz sighed more loudly as the baby continued wailing despite its mother and father trying to soothe him. "I mean, how would Anung un Rama look on a name tag?"

"You could always go by Rama," the woman offered as she set the papers down. Liz groaned loudly, a strong sense of anger welling within her at the sound of the baby crying. Had she been thinking clearly she would have asked herself why the sound made her so irritated, but at the moment was experiencing a sensation entirely new. She felt desperate to make the crying stop and, for reasons unknown to her, angry at the child for making noise. "Rama is a pretty common name in India. It's the name of their sun god who was incarnated on earth when . . ."

"Will you please just shut him up?!" Liz suddenly exclaimed. All eyes suddenly turned to the pyro in complete shock. She placed her hands protectively over her eyes as she breathed deeply. Nuala froze and stared at the girl in concern before rising slowly. Abe took her arm firmly, nearly glaring at the woman next to the demon. "You can't just let a kid cry like that."

"Liz, he's a baby," Red interjected quickly. "Babies cry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, there's just something wrong with him," she said anxiously. Nuala hesitated as Abe stood up beside her, now staring at his friend harshly. Leopold shrieked all the louder as he felt his mother's heart race. Liz breathed more deeply, doing her utmost to not burst into flames as the bizarre anger continued to try and take a better hold on her. "Will you please just get him to stop?! Can't you give him what he needs? You're his mother, you should be taking care of him!"

"Agent Sherman," Dr. Krauss said firmly. Nuala breathed heavily and hurried for the door. She could sense the woman's anxiousness beginning to spiral beyond her control. "I believe you are experiencing a hormonally induced anxiety attack. You should report to a doctor at once before you suffer something worse."

"I'm fine," Liz replied shaking her head. Something was wrong. The conversation with Titania had stirred a great deal of worry in the woman and then the sound of the infant crying had sent all emotional tension into overdrive.

"I think we should adjourn for now and meet again tomorrow to go over the schedule of action to be taken," the representative said quickly, also sensing something unnaturally unwelcome in the group. "Be back in here tomorrow at the same time."

"Wait! There's not enough time or funding for all of this!" Manning protested as he followed the woman out of the room.

Red turned to his wife, reaching for her to offer some kind of comfort. She turned away, grasping her shoulders as she felt the heat within her become cold. Was she sick? She was beginning to regret the idea of pregnancy if it meant so many complications. Since they had returned from Ireland, there hadn't been a day that went by without an outburst from the young woman. These outbursts were usually directed towards the ever-present Red or any of the also present cats.

"Liz, you shouldn't have said that. Nuala still feels a little unsure of the adjustments she's making," Abe said sternly. "You really hurt her. You should apologize and make this right."

Liz began shaking as an inward anger began racing through her veins. She was becoming the resident 'evil witch' quickly with a different spelling among most of the operatives that worked closely with her. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus fully on what had made her so upset. There were at least one hundred thoughts and fears racing through her mind too quickly to read. She felt as though she were constantly standing beneath a sea of hummingbirds buzzing and twittering mindlessly; the motions and the noises creating a routine state of frazzled nerves. She began sobbing silently.

Growling in frustration, she wiped the tears that were starting to stream from her eyes and raced out of the room. She must have been losing her mind. She began sobbing more loudly as she headed down the hall towards one of the emergency exits. She needed to get away and quickly. A jolt of shock and fear went through her spine as someone caught her arm. She turned and stared silently at the assailant . . . Nuala. The elf held her arm more tightly than she had ever grasped anything in her life and reached out for the woman's hand. Liz was too taken aback to fight the gesture as Nuala took in the answer to everyone's question moments ago. She frowned and looked at her new friend with concern.

"Come with me," she commanded softly. Liz shook her head and tried to back away. Nuala continued to keep a firm, but friendly grip on her. "You need to speak with someone; you are terribly frightened of the future."

At this, the young woman folded into the elf, wrapping her arms around her and sobbing more loudly. Nuala drew in a deep breath and sighed. She had asked one of the operatives to take Leopold back to the library and send for Abraham to go and see to him before waiting in the hall for the girl. Humans were more sensitive creatures and their technologies had vastly crippled their native emotional intelligence and stripped them of primal instincts that gave more than confidence. Liz was simply suffering from an ailment as common as coryza among humanity . . . fear.

--------------------

Titania had slept peacefully save for the invading dreams of Nuada's memories. One in particular had caught her attention and had almost seemed like a portion of a movie that she might have seen recently, but she knew better. In the dream she saw the angry prince storm away from the modest dwelling beneath Manhattan Island where the elves who had come with Balor had taken up residency. His sister had begged him to stay and his father had demanded that the youth clear his mind before returning. Nuada appeared to have only been fifteen by human reckoning. He had furiously headed into a world that was entirely foreign and dangerous to himself and his people. He wandered late into the night and had become disoriented. Suddenly the prince had fallen into an old well, covered by only a few thin wooden boards. He screamed in terror as the darkness and the unknown came closer to him. Titania had felt her own senses fluttering as she felt herself falling with him. In a flash, a strange metal claw had appeared from above and grasped the prince around his midsection. The elf had gasped and coughed as the bizarre hand pulled itself back up to the surface. It was connected to its master by a strong chain and drew upward slowly. Nuada had been so shocked that he simply stared in fear at his surroundings as the hand clicked back into place on its owner's wrist. The owner, now staring into the face of the terrified prince, was a large and horrendous troll. Nuada shrieked and fought to free himself as the troll roared at him.

"Let me go! Help!" Nuada had screamed. He clawed behind himself, trying to take hold of the sword he had been given during his training. The sword and a spear that had been the reason behind his 'warrior title' of Silverlance, dropped to the ground. He gasped and began trembling as the troll continued to look him over. The prince became very still as the troll leaned forward and picked up both weapons, simultaneously setting the elf on the ground. Nuada straightened himself and watched in disbelief as the creature handed him the weapons and did something unusual for any of the darker magical beings; he drew his hand over his chest and bowed. "You-you-you saved me," the prince whispered. The troll growled softly and took a step backwards, pointing to himself and speaking his name in the troll-speech forbidden in the elf and faerie kingdoms. Nuada tilted his head and smiled. "Wink? Your name is Wink?"

The creature gave an ugly smile at the elf being able to barely recognize the strange phonetics. He nodded and gestured towards an old stone dwelling. Nuada frowned. The dwelling had once been used by humans, he could tell by its structure and scent. The troll said nothing further to him and turned to head towards the dwelling. Nuada waited for a moment, hearing the rumble of distant thunder. He loved watching the rain from a distance, but absolutely hated being caught in it. It was one thing to climb into a river and swim, it was entirely another to get wet simply standing under cloud cover. This was another oddity that the prince had among his people. He sighed heavily and hurried after the troll, tripping once in exhaustion. The troll turned and noted the youth struggling to climb back to his feet. Wink walked back over to the prince and heaved him over one shoulder with a grunt.

Titania laughed to herself at the sight of the dazed prince being carried inside by the creature. Wink had made a small and almost comfortable home for himself which included a pile of old rags and blankets that served as a bed. He carefully set the prince on the cloths and walked towards the fireplace, taking a stone in his enormous normal hand. He slammed it against the metal claw and watched happily as the sparks from the stone flew onto the wood and lit them. Fire began burning brightly as the prince propped himself on his elbows and admired the creature. Here was a beast who was usually outcast from the proper magical beings and yet had the insight to make himself a civilized life, such as it was. Perhaps these creatures were not altogether useless as he had been told they were.

The troll walked over to one of the old cabinets and pulled the door free of its hinges. Even for a human this would not have taken much effort; the hinges were worn and quite rusted with rain and time. Nuada sat upright and watched the troll withdraw a bundle of herbs and plants. He strode over to the elf and offered them to him. Nuada stared at them apprehensively and finally withdrew a sprig of thyme. His mother had firmly believed that thyme was the most lovely of all the plants in the fragrant herb gardens they had kept back home. He frowned and felt terribly homesick. No matter what his father had told him and his sister upon arriving in the new land, Bethmoora would always be home. The troll grunted in the odd language again, bidding the prince to close his eyes and rest. Nuada had never been a trusting creature, but something about this troll and this dwelling felt secure. He sighed and laid back, still watching the creature as it tended the fire.

"Mr. Wink?" he said aloud. The troll turned, confused that the elf had used the word Mr., but said nothing and attributed it to his being royalty. "Thank you." The troll growled softly in acknowledgement and turned back to the fire, speaking the words 'sleep, my friend' in the troll-tongue.

Nuada had smiled brightly as he closed his eyes. The brush with death had made everything else around him at the moment so welcoming. In all his years back at home, he had been too sheltered to have friends apart from family and members of the court. "Friend," the elf muttered as he drifted off to sleep. Titania felt a slight twinge of pain in her chest. She had seen the memory earlier of the prince receiving news that this creature had died. Before heading into the compound to retrieve his sister, he had mourned bitterly and sworn revenge. Titania could now see why the anger and hostility towards Red.

A loud ringing suddenly began shaking the girl. She opened her eyes and glanced around for the source of the obnoxious tone. Eyes burning angrily, she stared at the face of her alarm clock and groaned. It was already six in the morning. She reached out and snatched the clock in one hand, slamming the off button and resetting the wake time for three hours later. She was in no mood to rise and wanted more of these dreams. Nuada was a mystery that was unfolding to her now as a dream flower. She smiled and sighed softly. She was in love, or at least well on her way to be there. It felt more marvelous, more wonderful than any infatuation or small academic/emotional victory she had ever savoured before. She could not wait to see the forest again that afternoon, but wanted to get back to seeing a more innocent and tender version of her sweet prince. She closed her eyes and tried to draw herself back into the elf's recollections.

--------------------

Nuada had taken nearly an hour to fall asleep after his encounter. Puck had not helped the situation, worrying aloud about Titania's feelings and safety, the task at hand of getting Nuada back on the throne, and facing Oberon once the throne was in sight. The prince had ignored this as a night of similar dreams settled over him. Morning came too quickly, the rays of the impudent sun pulling the curtain of peace over the prince away harshly. The elf groaned and sat upright, contemplating the idea of doing something he had never done before, going back to sleep until he felt rested. As the thought that he needed to be well rested made a command decision to do just that in the prince's mind, a piercing howl broke the silence of the forest. Nuada felt his blood freeze as the howl drew out for several minutes, warning all beasts nearby that Seth was close and seeking a victim. He rose and walked to the window, sniffing the air pensively. His eyes narrowed as he realized that there was no sign of the hound by scent or sound any more. Nuada walked over to the rabbit sleeping at the foot of the bed and grasped his shoulder. Puck stirred and opened one eye.

"Did you hear that?" the elf asked softly. The rabbit yawned and scratched an ear.

"Hear what, your highness?" the pwca yawned. Nuada shook his head and stared back at the window for a moment. If the howl had not terrified the pwca, a natural foe on the receiving end of the hounds' wrath, then he might have imagined the whole thing.

"Go back to sleep, my friend," Nuada instructed with a dismissive wave. He walked back to the edge of the bed and sat down with a sigh. Something had jarred him, but it was not something that could be easily detected by obvious peripheral senses. He thought to himself of the possibilities of the creatures here rising to Oberon's commands and becoming assassins. It had happened before. He shook his head and began to dress quickly. He could rest when he was sure he was not in danger any longer. The thought that he would not rest properly for days if that was the case came to mind. He smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time," he repeated aloud.


	19. Epiphany

(((Something not everyone knows about the story of Nuada, usually pronounced Nu-ah-hah in Gaelic, is that the film's legends were based on real Celtic Myth. The story of Nuada is incredible, but confusing if you've only seen the film. Balor, or Balar, was portrayed as the character that was Nuada in Celtic myth, the one-armed king of the fairy folk or all otherworld creatures. Nuada was a magnificent king who had to fight to reclaim his throne, thus losing his arm. He had a healer then fashion him one from silver and years later replaced it with a golden one. Balor was a mortal enemy of the king, likely considered to be something like an elf, and even waged war against him. The proper name for their clan was Tuatha de Dannan, but in the film it is Tuatha Bethmoora. The nephew and favoured relative of Nuada was Lugh, for whom we celebrate Lughnasadh or Lammas. Nuada had a grand court that eventually went beneath Ireland, leaving the upper world to the mortals, his descendants. Pretty neat, right? In fact, there is speculation that the story of Nuada and Lugh sparked the famous characters Anakin and Luke Skywalker. Either way, the portrayal on film was not accurate, but oh so delicious and enjoyable!))))

**Chapter 19**

Titania bounded down the stairs only an hour after the alarm had roused her from sleep. She kept going over the sights and sounds of the elf and became too anxious to see him again to sleep any longer. She wondered how long it would be before the prince would be able to return to his home using the map. She would be the one to read it. She admired herself in a nearby mirror. Her dark hair swirled pleasantly around her shoulders and had been made into rippling waves by the braid she had worn into the gnome's lair. Her clothing was still modest by comparison to the prince's regal attire. A soft blue tunic over the same worn jeans and the softer boots from before; Titania appeared to be more of a forest dweller than the prince in these clothes. The girl thought for a moment about the prince and the forest as she walked towards the dining room. He hadn't seemed to experienced in making shelter or finding food among the trees. The elves might not have been the forest creatures that had been displayed in the more popular fantasies. In some legends they dwelled like dwarves beneath the earth. Nuada seemed pale enough, perhaps his people had lived beneath the surface.

"Darling!" her mother's voice exclaimed, breaking the girl's concentration. Titania turned and watched as her mother began walking towards her, clad in an odd funnel-shaped dress comprised of rainbow polka-dotted cloth. Titania winced at the outfit, but hurried to her mother. "I had to come home early, I just couldn't bear the thought of you here by yourself after that dreadful visit to the states." Titania frowned. Her mother had been an American citizen for a short time, coming from an impoverished town in lower west England and then winning out in several beauty competitions. The woman now referred to the Americas as 'the states' or other idioms that removed familiarity. Titania embraced the woman tightly and breathed in the scent of her abnormally strong perfume with more enjoyment than usual. Nadia noticed her daughter's bright smile and drifting gaze. A wise smile crossed the woman's lips as she pulled her daughter away and looked her over. "What is his name?"

"Huh? Who?" Titania replied in confusion. Nadia laughed.

"You don't need to be bashful about it, darling, a mother can tell when her daughter has found herself an object of affection," the woman said. She took both of the girl's hands in her own. "Now, what is his name? Is he a local boy? Where did you meet?"

"Oh, uh," Titania said trying to think of a proper explanation. Misses Badcrumble now stood in the background, watching with great interest. The girl smiled, still wanting to get some sort of revenge for being imprisoned in the house for several days while her mother had been away. "His name is Nuada, mom, and he is gorgeous. I just adore him and I think he feels the same."

Misses Badcrumble wailed and dropped the tray she had been holding. Nadia turned and stared with concern as the woman hurried back into the kitchen sobbing about the world ending. Nadia shook her head and turned back to her child. "Poor old thing, she's suffering from mild dementia I think. Now," she walked towards the table holding her daughter's hands and grinning calmly. Nothing was more unifying than the talks about boys between mother and daughter. "That's an exotic name, dear. Where is he from? You didn't meet him in one of those awful chat rooms, did you?"

"No, he's from New York, well, he used to live there. He's originally from . . ." Titania thought for a moment. There really wasn't any way to bring the next comment close to the truth. She sighed; she might as well go all the way since this would not be something lasting. "He's originally from Japan."

"Oooh, what part?" Nadia asked as Magnus brought a secondary tray with tea.

"Uh, um, Osaka?" Titania replied in a very unsure tone.

"He didn't tell you, did he?" Nadia asked raising one brow in concern.

"No, he did, I just wasn't really listening. "We only met about two weeks ago, just after I got back."

"Oh, I see," Nadia said as she placed a cube of sugar in her tea cup and began pouring the steaming beverage over it. "A little post-summer romance, then? How wonderful for you! Just be cautious, darling. Do not get your heart too involved with something this trivial right now. There will be more in the future."

Titania frowned and looked away. She hadn't really considered the idea of romance being associated with the prince, but she had fallen into total infatuation. Not merely his flawless features had haunted her since first truly seeing him; his voice, his movements, and his very demeanor had struck the right chord in her soul to create a melody of first love and not just a simple crush fueled by adoration. As wonderful as Titania had found Abraham to be, Nuada surpassed nearly everything about him. The girl reached out and politely filled a cup of her own. "I'm going back out into the forest today. I said I'd meet him and we'd look at something we found the other day," she explained. Perhaps it would be safe to tell her mother the vague outlay of what was transpiring. The woman rarely listened to her to begin with and would certainly not want to hear anything about what Titania really wanted to share. She justified these slight misrepresentations in that her mother was satisfied not knowing, but simply interacting. "I'll be back before dark, though."

"Your lessons begin in a week, dear," Nadia reminded. "I hope you get all of this out of your system before then. Ah, I remember my first passionate triste. It doesn't seem that long ago, actually."

Titania rolled her eyes and looked away as her mother began retelling the story of her first kiss and summer love. She had heard this story several times. No matter how Titania tried, she could never get her mother to tell her much about the marriage to her father or their life before she was born. The woman was more than willing, however, to share ridiculous details about her love life as a young adult. The girl sighed and looked out the window. She would need to talk with Misses Badcrumble for a moment before heading out to assure the old woman that there was nothing to fear. Nuada was not dangerous, he was fierce. He was not evil, he was dedicated. And he was not a murderer, he was a victim of peculiar circumstance. She half listened as the woman finished her story and gazed into the distance. Something told Titania that she would not find proper advice for this, or any other situation involving interpersonal relationships with her mother. That was fine, Nadia was never one for long talks. Titania looked towards the kitchen. There was always someone else to turn to on such matters.

--------------

Nuada had wondered out into the clearing near the tree house and begun a series of routines with the spear and without it as well. As the powerful surges of energy from his precise movements began to race through his veins, he began to find himself more and more drawn to the thoughts and memories Titania had inadvertently given him. He smiled and breathed deeply with each enormous swoop of the blade, watching its glistening silver with more joy than usual. He had been reborn with two grand purposes; the one to reclaim the throne of the earth and the other to protect and free one of the lost she-scholars. It was liberating to think of being so important without his birthright being the sole reason for his presence on the planet now. He grasped the blade and threw it high into the air as he ran towards a nearby oak and leapt sideways onto the trunk, forcing himself at an angle into the air. He caught the hilt in the opposite hand as he flew past it. He landed deftly on a branch of a tree several feet away, spinning around once and then leaping lightly to the ground once again. He had never felt so alive. The years beneath the city and the losses had all been worth this. He thought of how beautiful Titania would be once transformed back into her natural state, white skinned and rose-eyed. Her verdant eyes were interesting and her ivory skin a fascination, but what a lovely elf she would make.

He turned around, thrusting the spear to either side and kneeling every few seconds, rising just in time to miss the business end of the weapon. He thought back to some of the more pleasant memories he had experienced beneath the troll market and the rest of the island. There had been a few things he had enjoyed seeing. There was an enormous remnant of a forest on one section of the city and numerous theatres, one that specifically portrayed stories with a great deal of song and dance. Nuada loved music especially the songs of the moon and stars that his mother had once sung to him. The music that humans created was occasionally tolerable and a few of the productions had appealed enough to the royal for him to stay and watch. One in particular was unusually violent and dark for human theatrics, but it had fascinated the prince as a cat watching a piece of twitching cord. The lyrics of several of the pieces had been so intriguing that he had found them running through his mind on several occasions. He smiled and stood upright, holding the spear firmly in front of him as he began to quote a piece aloud. He spun and stopped with emphasis on different words, thrusting the spear forward at an invisible foe.

"_I have seen the world as well, my friend, and this is what I've learned . . ._" he slowly turned around and began twirling more furiously with the blade as the intensity as the song gained momentum and feeling. "_There's a hole in the world like a great, black pit, and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it, and it goes by the name of London!_"

Still lying on the foot of the bed, Puck lifted his chin and sniffed the air. There was a lingering scent drifting through varying breezes that told him an enemy was not far. The pwca began trembling and glanced around for the main source of protection he had enjoyed for the past few days. The prince was nowhere in sight, but he could hear the royal's voice outside . . . singing? The rabbit shook his head and hopped off the bed, slowly stretching and turning back into faerie form. He shook himself and began to climb down the ladder to the first level. What on earth was Nuada doing?

"Sire?" the pwca called as he began descending the stairs towards the clearing. He watched in shock as the prince leaned forward and leapt into the air, flipping over no less than three times as he held his knees tightly to his chest and then landing upright. "What on earth?"

"Good morning, Puck," the prince said as he reached up with one hand and caught his spear as it fell to him. "You slept well?"

"Sire, are you feeling ill?" the pwca asked cautiously as he moved closer to him.

"Ill?" Nuada laughed. He reached forward and seized the pwca beneath either arm and tossed him, carefully, several feet away. The pwca stood stunned, but unharmed. "I am quite the opposite, my friend!" He held the spear in both hands and began making quick blows to the right and then to the left, first upward and then downward. "Why do you ask?"

Puck began trembling. This was hardly normal for the elf. He was never so jovial and certainly not prone to song, even if the song was rather unpleasant. "Y-y-y-you're not yourself, your highness."

"I disagree," Nuada replied as he dropped the spear and jumped upward, catching a branch with both hands and swiftly pulling himself to stand on it fully. "I am more myself than ever before!"

"Oh no!"Puck exclaimed dramatically as he covered his face with his hands. "You're in love! You're acting as flighty a ridiculous school boy in love!"

"Don't be silly," the elf replied as he leapt to another branch and hesitated. "What in Aiglin's realm would make you say such a thing?"

"Oh let's see, the hopping about like a cricket, singing like a meadowlark, and smiling like a Cheshire cat!" the pwca replied angrily. "Oh, sire, sire you can't. You simply can't fall in love with a human!"

"I am not in love with a human, Puck," the prince corrected, a slight change in the tone of his voice told the rabbit that the elf was going to be peeved with such comments. He hurled himself back to the ground and kicked his spear into the air, catching it effortlessly. He stopped and looked up at the sky, scowling more naturally once again. "Love," he muttered. Puck cowered, not able at the moment to read the prince's expression. He took a step backwards and sniffed more carefully. The elf suddenly smiled, laughing loudly and twirling the spear as a propeller above himself. "Love! I _**love**_ her!"

"No, no, no, no, no," Puck muttered to himself as he began shaking his head sadly. "Oh, this is awful, just awful."

"_There's a hole in the world as a great black pit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it, and it goes by the name of London!_"

"I have to put an end to this," the pwca sighed sadly. Poor Titania, she had been enamoured with the young royal from the get go. It was to be expected from the girl being an imaginative young girl blossoming gently into adulthood to swoon over a warrior elf prince, but the reciprocation of this adoration was inexcusable. What was Nuada thinking? No doubt he was only thinking of his own happiness and how wonderful it would be to be the one to free a fellow magical being from a terrible enchantment. Clearly the years across the sea had stunted his natural senses. "Sire, I am going back to the mansion for a moment to check on the girl." The prince ignored him, continuing to both move through every routine he had learned and the various male singing parts to the musical. "Very well, I shall return soon."

"_The lives of the wicked should be made brief and for the rest of us death will be a relief!"_ the prince recited. Puck shook his head and began to head out to the mansion. The elf grinned and laughed, feeling an odd breeze whirling through his veins and spirit. "_Yes!_ _We all deserve to die!_"

-------------

Titania stared with a frown at Misses Badcrumble. She had tried to start pleasant conversation with the woman as she followed her around the kitchen. The troll had said nothing, ignoring the girl to the point of refusing to face her. Titania had tried every casual topic that they had discussed in the past, but to no avail whatsoever. At last she sighed and let her arms drop to her sides dramatically.

"What do you want me to say!?" she said in exasperation. "I mean, it's not like we're running off together or making out. I just have some deep feelings for him and he seemed to return them, well, a little."

"When?" the woman retorted, still facing away.

"Last night," Titania said folding her arms firmly. Misses Badcrumble slammed a pan onto the counter and turned angrily to the girl.

"You were in your room last night, lassie, unless you've been skulking around in the dark behind my back," the woman growled. Titania glared back, insulted that the old cook would even consider such a thing. The woman's eyes suddenly widened, tears forming within them. "He didn't."

"He apologized for a few things and we said good night," Titania explained firmly. The woman raised her finger to point sternly in the girl's face.

"I tried to warn you, lassie," she said. "You're taking your life into your own hands, and a pair of foolish hands they are. Prince Nuada will not stay in the forest for long and when he returns to take the throne he will wage war against mankind."

"No he won't," Titania countered without thinking.

Misses Badcrumble laughed scornfully and turned back to the counter. "Mark my words, lassie, he's a pretty thing now, but he does not want peace," the woman hissed. "The magical creatures will not agree and he will be at a loss for it, of course, but any human crossing his path after his coronation will fall down dead."

"I don't believe that," Titania said more firmly. The cook laughed and continued with her tasks. "He's not evil, Misses Badcrumble."

"_**He's cursed**_!" the woman shouted as she turned back to face the girl. "But seeing as your one that opts to learn things the hard way, I'll say no more of it to you. Just remember the old troll what tried to keep this from befalling her dear girl. Remember it well."

"Fine, I'll remember it," Titania said with a huff as she started back to the door.

"Wait a moment," the cook said motioning for the girl to move back towards her. Titania sighed and walked back to her old friend, still frowning. "If you're going to be cordial with the little snipe you might as well take him this."

Titania reached forward as the woman handed her a small bundle wrapped in a blue handkerchief. Titania stared at it in confusion and pulled it forward to sniff at it. "Blackberry, he loved it as boy."

Titania looked back at the woman in bewilderment as she held the cake in front of her. "If you're so angry at him, why would you bake something special?"

"If you must know, I doubt the boy remembers the day he was born, but none here in Bethmoora would forget it," she replied with a heavy sigh. "Just try to be back home as quickly as possible, dear. I know what you're feeling, but you must guard yourself . . . for your mother's sake if nothing else."

Titania rolled her eyes and stormed out of the kitchen. Did anyone understand how incredible the change in him had been? He had tried to kill her when they had first met and now he had no problem in speaking kindly to her. She had elicited something wonderful in him. He needed her kindness, not to be left to his own devices. She hurried outside and said nothing to Magnus as he walked past. Misses Badcrumble brought out a dish rag to swipe the table strategically as Nadia sat reading a journal. The cook smiled broadly at the woman.

"Young love is such a treat," the old woman sighed in feigned happiness. Nadia smirked and nodded slightly. "Tis a shame the lassie's father isn't here to play the stalwart protector."

"Hmmmm?" Nadia said looking up.

"Well, it is the chief duty of the father to be the one that threatens the lad, isn't it?" the cook laughed. Nadia glanced away for a moment and nodded. "Perhaps you should phone him. Keep him on the up and up with the girl's life. Families should know these things about one another."

"I suppose . . ." the woman muttered softly. She reached into her bag and withdrew her cellular phone. "It's been so long since I've spoken to him."

"It's for the best, love," the troll said with a wicked grin. She knew all too well that the girl's father would recognize the name and perhaps put a serious end to the nonsense. Likely, the man would demand that she be sent to a female boarding school. Yes, the woman prayed that the doctor would overreact.

---------------

Titania hurried into the forest, silently telling herself that everyone around her was against her and did not at all understand the prince. It was also to be expected that any resistance to the idea of her first passionate love would be seen as fuel for a fire to push her more fervently into his arms. She grumbled to herself about how incredibly clueless her mother was and how unreasonable the cook was being. She knew the prince better than anyone, certainly that qualified her to make theories that were more meaningful than his past. She climbed up the staircase and into the tree-house. She grabbed the door handle and composed herself as she entered the room, suddenly wishing that she had remembered to grab her cloak to wear over the long-sleeved tunic as the cool of autumn began to manifest itself more and more by the minute. "Your highness?" she called as she entered the tree-house. There was no reply. The girl frowned and walked over to the book case. She had nothing to give him, but she desperately wanted to appear as though she had remembered something significant for him. Grabbing a book from the shelf, she pulled out an ink pen and began to scribble something in the front cover. Titania set the cake on the table and found another handkerchief lying on one of the counters to use as a wrap for the book. It was a modest gesture, but one filled with tenderness. Her ears began to catch the sound of a familiar musical, at least, one of the pieces to a familiar musical. She grimaced and thought how fitting it was for a warrior to be quoting from one of the more violent stage productions.

----------------

"_Finished! Alright, then! You sir, how about a shave? Come and visit your good friend Sweeney. You sir, too sir? Welcome to the grave!_" the prince recited proudly as he swung the blade along with the words. By this time, he had removed all clothing from the waist up and was glistening in the midmorning sun. "_I_ _will have vengeance, I will have salvation!_"

The prince was so absorbed in creating his own choreography with the spear and the songs that he lost track of his surroundings. Titania climbed down the stairs, watching him intently. He was incredible, moving so fluidly and gracefully with each syllable. She gasped as he continued, to prance from pose to pose hurling the spear one way and another, displaying a power that Titania had only seen a brief glimpse of in the gnomes' lair. Her jaw fell to nearly touching the ground as the lyrical sparring continued.

"_Who sir, you sir?_" here he pointed the spear at the decayed remnants of an old tree. He sliced it once and continued the conversation and faux battle. "_But the work waits! I'm alive at last! And I'm full of joy!_" With the final line, he raised his spear high into the air and slammed it harshly into the ground, bowing low.

"Oh . . . my . . . god," Titania said aloud in disbelief. Nuada turned and straightened, his expression fading to something more formal. Had he been human a slight shade of pink would have graced every bare portion of skin. "You're into Broadway?"

"Titania," he said with a nod as he withdrew the spear. "You are rather early, what are you hoping to accomplish at this hour?"

"I just still had a few questions about your world," she said as she cautiously moved towards him. "I thought that maybe since you and I are on better terms, that you'd answer them for me."

The elf walked past her, breathing deeply as he stretched his shoulders and back. Titania shook her head, trying not to simply stand and gawk at him. Had he changed his demeanor since the night before? He was quoting a play dedicated to the idea of murder and destruction, something he had been repeatedly accused of. He was moving with the spear as if it were a natural extension of his arm and had not seemed to be noticing much else around him. "Come, Titania. Let us take a look once more at what we have most recently acquired." He headed back to the base of the stairs, still wiping sweat from his brow. He swiftly pulled the black tunic and slipped on the thick leather chest plate. The girl followed after him quickly, now feeling a little more apprehensive. Her emotions had been playing hide and seek with her for the past several days. She wanted desperately to have one single feeling for a full day and not have trivial fears swaying her. Still, something primal within her feared the royal. She stopped, feeling a different fear quickly jolt through her. She felt frozen and breathless as if having been caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. The prince turned and glanced at her confusedly. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Titania breathed deeply as the prince's eyes widened. How had this escaped his attention? "Do not move," he ordered the girl as he gripped the spear more tightly. A low, guttural growl came from behind her as the prince advanced back to the clearing.

"What is it?" Titania croaked in a hoarse, dry whisper. Nuada suddenly raised his spear and used a free hand to shove Titania to the ground. The girl turned over hurriedly as she heard the prince cry out in anger. A loud howl now accompanied the growling. She screamed and stared in horror at the sight of what must have been a werewolf attacking the elf. "Nuada!"

"Stay where you are, Titania!" he shouted as he forced the hound away with the horizontal edge of the spear. The hound snorted and pulled a dagger from a hidden pouch. The prince willed the spear to grow to its full length and growled at the creature. "Whatever you see or hear, do not move."

"I am truly going to enjoy this," the hound hissed with a dripping grin. "Hurry, now, I thirst."

Nuada lunged forward, jabbing the spear downward at the creature as it ducked to the side laughing. The elf reared back and dodged a swipe with the dagger. The hound howled madly and clawed with the other limb at him. The prince knelt and jabbed the spear upward, catching the creature by its ear and tearing a substantial portion of flesh away. Seth yelped and stumbled backwards, holding onto the side of his head gingerly. The prince turned back to the girl for a moment. "Get into the tree, now!"

"But . . ." Titania protested. As helpless as she was, she didn't want to leave the prince to fight this creature alone. Jareth gathered more strength and leapt high into the air, landing on the prince. Nuada held the snapping jaws and clawing features at bay with the spear once again. He turned to the girl, grunting in frustration.

"Just go!" he snarled as he pushed momentum into his legs and managed to kick the hound off to the side. The beast growled and snarled, now taking a stance a few paces away and beginning to circle him menacingly. Titania said nothing else and climbed a nearby tree, watching the scene with true concern. "Oberon must be desperate to send a lower being, and well he should be. The sons of the earth will not bow to a traitor."

"That will be the principal argument against your reign, my prince," the hound chuckled wickedly. Nuada narrowed his eyes and circled the creature in turn, holding the spear only a few inches away from his chest. "Or do you think they have forgotten how your father abandoned them, and you abandoned your father?"

"I think they will remember the treachery of Oberon more clearly," the elf retorted.

"Think again," the hound rasped as it lunged forward. Nuada shouted fiercely and thrust the spear forward. The two met at the centre and fell to the ground, struggling against one another yet again. They grunted and held the other's weapons away with heated intensity as Titania began to grow more restless. She had to do something. Seth leaned his snout more closely to the prince's face and hissed. "There will be no greater reward on earth than what I will be given for your body." Nuada shouted and found himself unable to remove the beast with any amount of strength. Seth suddenly glanced towards the tree with the girl and smirked hungrily. "Then again, I do believe Oberon will quite enjoy it if I bring the girl back to him alive."

Nuada's eyes lit with hatred as he found the strength and opportunity to slam a blunt edge of the spear into the side of the hound's face. Seth yelped again and scurried away. The elf stood and turned towards his new friend. "Titania, go home!" he shouted. She shook her head and clutched the nearest branch more tightly. Nuada growled and took a step closer to her. "Do as I say, human!" He had hoped that removing familiarity would make his demand sound more important. Instead Titania shrieked and pointed.

"Look out!" she exclaimed. Nuada turned as the hound slammed the tip of the dagger into his chest. The elf stared down at the wound in horror and disbelief, trembling and gasping. Seth smiled as the prince sank to his knees and then to the ground entirely, not moving. Titania screamed at the top of her lungs as the hound tilted its head towards the sky and bayed victoriously. He had completed his task; the line of the royal crown of Bethmoora had ended with the zealous prince. The Morrighan watched from a nearby branch, frowning.

_Your façade is well played, nephew_, she thought to herself. _Do not let it linger too lengthy, it is not merely your death that Oberon desires_.


	20. My Brother is Alive

(((If anyone else has a problem with Nuada's portrayal of _**Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street**_, then I shall remove the current contents of chapter 19 and post its alternative where _**West Side Story**_ is featured instead and the prince dances about and sings _'I Feel Pretty'_. Anyone? Good, I don't want that kind of attention and no elf would enjoy that play. Luke Goss, please don't hurt me for picturing that! Aaaaaagggghhhh! Now it's in my brain!))))

**Chapter 20**

Nuala and Liz entered the library after a long and heartfelt session of crying and comforting. Liz was beginning to think that being sisterly towards the she-elf was a very good idea no matter how 'typically female' it made her seem. The princess held her new friend's hand tightly until the door closed behind them. Here she reached up and placed a hand on the side of the pyro's head and smiled brightly.

"Speak with him tonight, I imagine he is as afraid as you are," she said softly. Liz nodded and composed herself more fully. Not since Red had been injured had she given such an emotional display. The she elf glanced towards the area near the fireplace where the baby's crib had been placed temporarily. "I wonder what you will call them."

"I don't know," Liz muttered as they began walking swiftly towards their husbands. Red and Abe sat in two large armchairs, arguing back and forth about the importance of classical tragedies. Red's arguments were neither long nor truly thought through, but the interaction was what truly mattered. Liz shook her head as she moved more quickly than the elf. Nuala froze for a moment, feeling a sudden wave of dizziness move through her entire body. Liz turned for a moment. "Nuala, are you okay?"

The elf stood still and breathed deeply, keeping her eyes open despite the want to close them and let the darkness soothe away the threat of nausea. Leopold began to cry as the elf shook her herself and nodded towards her friend. Abe stood and reached into the crib, taking the small blanketed bundle in his arms and turning towards his wife. Recognizing the boy's cries of hunger, Nuala accepted him tenderly and nodded dismissively to her husband. As she began walking towards a more private corner of the Library, Liz smiled to Red affectionately and followed after. She felt the need to stay as close to the being with whom she had just shared the innermost secrets of her current state. Liz hadn't really had a close friend in years and she wasn't about to let the first female that seemed to be interested in friendship out of her sight. Nuala walked over to a corner near the reference section, covered in encyclopedias new and old, where there was an old Japanese screen and a comfortable overstuffed chair.

"So," Liz said as she stood on the other side of the screen to give mother and son privacy. She heard the crying of the baby turn quickly into noisy suckling. "When did you really feel connected to him?"

"To whom?" Nuala asked. "To Abraham?"

"No, I mean, to Leo . . . your baby," the woman continued. She sighed and began pacing, rubbing her neck anxiously at the thought of soon having to do what the princess was doing at the moment. "Was it like immediately, before his birth, or when you first held him? When?"

"Well, I suppose it was . . ." Nuala began. Nuala felt her heart suddenly begin to race. She frowned and began to breathe heavily. Leopold released his mother and began grunting nervously, her heartbeat creating a similar anxiety to Liz's. Nuala gasped and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a rush of hot air suddenly hit her. What was happening? Elves did not become ill in the same manner that humans did, but perhaps something had changed about her in that she had not lived like the ancient ones for some time. She gasped again as the dizziness returned. She opened her mouth to call for Abe as heat filled her within to do battle with the chill outside her. She found herself unable to form words as Leopold began crying loudly.

Liz turned narrowing her eyes at the screen. "Nuala? Your highness?"

Nuala suddenly screamed loudly and did her best not to grip her son painfully. The boy began shrieking more in fear than hunger. Liz hurried behind the screen and stared in horror at the pale green dress that the elf had been wearing and pulled to the side of her left shoulder; there was a small cut forming on the middle upper portion of her chest. The woman gasped and quickly took Leopold from her, trying to discern what exactly had caused this. It wasn't possible that the baby had bitten her and drawn blood, not to mention it was in the wrong position, and it certainly wasn't possible that another pin had just nicked the skin.

"Abe!" Liz shouted.

In a flash, the fish-man was out of his chair, across the room, and behind the screen looking at the wound on his wife's chest. He cautiously pulled the cloth away from her body as Liz stood and stepped backwards, holding Leopold carefully. The two watched their friends anxiously as Abe looked thoroughly at the small wound forming on her chest. It was not fatal, but it was odd for a perfectly healthy she elf to suddenly incur a puncture wound on her chest. Abe stared at her in shock, unsure and too stunned to decide what to do next. Nuala gasped and reached down, softly swiping some of the blood away with her fingertips and holding it up in front of her. Abe remained motionless as she began sobbing softly and allowing tears to run down her cheeks. "Nuada," she whispered as she stared at her life fluid lingering silently. Everyone felt a sudden cold fill the room at the mention of the elf's name. "My brother is alive."

"Crap," the demon muttered. Liz turned to him angrily, reminding him with a glare that this was neither the time nor the place for even the lesser swear words (which had seemed to upset Nuala as much as her husband). "I'll go tell Manning. Wait here."

The group nodded as Abe turned to Liz. "Go and get Dr. Krauss, please hurry," he instructed. She nodded quickly and turned to go and retrieve the doctor. Abe watched the woman leave and then turned back to his wife. "Are you in pain?"

"He's been wounded," she whispered. Her eyes widened as she stared at Abe in horror. "What if he comes for me, for us, for Leopold!?"

"I will not let that happen," Abe said firmly as he pulled Nuala closer to him and wrapped his blue arms around her. Nuala shivered, feeling desperate to reach out and grasp everything she could about her brother to defend her new family. She couldn't readily read his thoughts, feelings, or intentions, but she could now fully feel his presence. She began sobbing all the harder as scenario after horrific scenario of what her enraged brother might do played through her mind. Abe stroked her golden white hair gently as she folded into him. "We are safe and there will always be a way to fight him."

"I cannot see his heart," she muttered. "I cannot see anything, nor feel it, only his life force."

"Then he has awakened nearby?" Abe asked. If the prince was alive and well, save for the obvious wound, then it would be wise to send a team to the Troll Market or the Giant's Causeway to try and subdue the prince before he began any further mayhem than what he had caused in his first life.

"I do not know," the she-elf whispered. "_But, I do know that he lives_."

--------------------

Manning had been all but cut off by Jenna Finklestein, the new representative sent to negotiate for the team's benefits. He stood pacing in front of the exit door where she had just been escorted and fumbled with yet another roll of tablets. This was not going to look good for him. The higher ups would see that he had been insufficient in handling the demands in the first place and the congressional hearing would no doubt find him in some legal violation of individual rights if the woman had her way. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as his cellular phone began ringing. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the number on the screen. Nadia? He had not spoken to his ex-wife in years. He dropped it and scrambled to retrieve it along with the roll of tablets. Footsteps approached as he stood upright and slipped the antacids back into his pocket.

"You shouldn't eat so many of those," Red's voice said from only a few feet away. Manning turned, facing the demon as he approached. "Liz says you'll give yourself a kidney stone."

"H-how would she know something like that?" the man sputtered as he wiped a small amount of sweat from his brow and glanced back at the phone apprehensively. Did he dare pick up and add to his distress? The woman had rarely had anything positive to say during the later portion of their short marriage, what could she possibly have to talk to him about now? _Titania_, he thought, _it must be about her_. "What is it, Red?" he said thoughtlessly as he reached down for the 'accept' key.

"It's Nuala's brother," the demon said flatly. Manning froze and turned to him once again, his heart skipping two beats at once. "He's back."

"Here?" Manning gasped. Red frowned and shook his head. "Then where? Where is he? Is he attacking? How did . . ."

"We're not sure. She just had a cut pop up on her chest and she says she feels he's alive," he explained. "We need to get some people out to start searching."

"No," Manning said with a frown. Nuada and the man had never formally met or even truly seen one another, but he had heard enough stories and seen enough of the damage left in his wake to be as frightened and angry as the ones who had. "We need to get _you_ out there." Red smirked. The opportunity to lay the little bastard out for making his pregnant wife trek across the ocean carrying him was only moments from presenting itself. The doctor glanced down once more at the phone and breathed deeply. Whatever had happened with Titania that would warrant Nadia asking for advice could wait a few moments while he began clearing the world of a creature that wanted all humans eliminated. That was just as good as any fatherly task he could have undertaken at the moment, wasn't it?

--------------

Titania leapt down from the tree and yanked off one of the branches as she landed. Seth turned to her, snarling. The girl shouted in frustration and slammed the end of the branch into the side of his head. He growled and fell backwards in surprise. The girl had a pretty good pair of arms on her for a human female. She dropped the branch, knelt over the prince, and turned him over, sobbing uncontrollably. The dagger had looked like it had embedded itself above his heart and perhaps there was some way for her to call for help before he was too far gone. Her eyes widened in shock. The dagger was not in the prince's chest at all. Seth noticed this from his safe distance and howled.

"Impossible!" he growled and began bounding towards the prince. Nuada's eyes suddenly opened. He grinned at Titania and sat upright, forcing her away as he got quickly to his feet. "I will not fail!"

"Stay back, Titania," the elf demanded more firmly as he held aloft the hand he had used to deftly remove and grasp the dagger at its hilt. In the instant before the elf had hit the ground, he had quickly pulled the dagger free from his leather-mail. Luckily, only tip had pierced his white skin. There was a small wound, but it was nothing fatal or inhibiting. "Traitor of the realm, come and try me one last time!"

Seth howled and leapt at Nuada, leaning strategically to the right and downward. The elf used his right hand to grasp his weapon for more efficient attacks and it now held the dagger. It would be a relatively simple task to remove it from him. Nuada was not prepared for the hound to clamp down on his wrist with his massive jaws. The elf screamed as blood began coursing from his wrist. The dagger dropped to the ground as the elf stumbled forward, breathing deeply. His mind began to race. He felt another presence, another being suffering harm. _Nuala_, he realized. _I must end this quickly_.

---------------

As the ectoplasmic physician began cleaning the small cut on Nuala's chest, the elf gasped and jerked her hand to one side. Abe and Krauss frowned at the sight of a large wound forming on her wrist. Nuala breathed deeply and narrowed her eyes. "A forest," she muttered through sharp breaths. "He battles a foe of our family, I feel it."

"Your family has enemies?" Abe asked as he began helping the suited-man clean the second wound and wrap a clean bandage around it. It would likely not take long for her to heal, but it would not do to allow an open wound on the nursing mother to go untreated even for a few hours. "In the magical realm?"

"Yes," she replied softly. A slight smile crossed her rosy lips as more of her brother began to fill her mind. "A forest, he has returned to a forest."

-------------------------

Nuada leaned against one of the trees, begging for the oak to give him some of its strength. _Take it, my prince and be healed_, the ancient being replied. The oak groaned as Nuada's hand returned to a better state. The trees had grown as frightened of enemies and man despite their wisdom these past years, this prevented them from stepping in to aid the prince immediately. Seth growled in frustration. It was never easy to fight an elf in a forest full of trees that served them. He thought for less than a moment and then suddenly turned towards Titania, still standing where the prince had fallen on the opposite side of the clearing. Nuada panted as the pain subsided from the bite and narrowed his eyes at the hound. The beast chuckled and withdrew the vial of putrid gnome essence that Oberon had given him.

"Fool," the hound hissed as he turned towards the girl. "When you ally yourself with humans, you suffer their weaknesses!"

Nuada felt a pain sharper than the dagger in his chest as he realized that he had left Titania vulnerable. She could not be reborn to him if he did not fulfill his purpose in protecting her at all cost. He shouted angrily and raced back to where his spear had fallen. Seth glanced in the prince's direction, annoyed that the youth was not yielding to pain or inevitability. The elf's eyes glistened crimson with excitement as he felt his warm hand wrap around the hilt of the blade. Seth turned away from Titania, who stood frozen in confusion and fear, and lowered himself to the ground. Nuada halted and frowned. Just as there were plants and trees that served the good of the magical kingdom, there were evil ones as well. Seth was beginning to speak to them hurriedly. The ground began shivering and twisting. Titania hopped up into a lower branch and felt a slight crack in its base as she held on. Titania suddenly realized that she should have immediately started climbing higher at the sound of the crack. The branch snapped free of the oak beneath her and dropped her small form on the ground. She gasped and scrambled to stand upright, holding onto the tree for support. She could now hear the odd Gaelic tongue being emitted from the hound as he whispered to the soil.

"Hear me banes, blights, and servants of the darker soil," the hound growled. Nuada lunged forward with his spear, aiming for the creature's head. Seth moved swiftly to the other side, but did not try to counter the prince's blow. The elf felt a tremor of fear at thinking the hound was no longer even a fraction afraid of the battle's outcome. Confidence in the enemy could mean either they were mad and full of themselves (which often meant an easier victory was assured) or that the enemy was aware of a tool that his foe was not. In this instance, Nuada realized that he was unaware of some foul measure this creature would use to destroy him and, worse, Titania. "Aconite, shrouded breath of plagues, heed my call." Strange verdant stems with dark purple flowers resembling dog's ears began shooting out from the ground in front of the beast and writhing impatiently. "Bind him!"

Titania shrieked as all available extensions of the greenery hurled themselves towards the prince, stretching abnormally and forcefully at his arms. Nuada knelt and rolled past the shrubs, thrusting his spear out to the side in an attempt to strike Seth from his left flank. The hound quickly turned and caught the middle of the weapon in both hands at the same place the prince tightly grasped it. Nuada stared angrily at the creature as he pulled the elf's face nearly flush with his own.

"Oberon may yet destroy you himself," the hound mused. He had been ordered to kill the elf, but perhaps bringing him back alive and subdued would be all the better. Nuada growled angrily and summoned all strength possible to pull the spear free of his enemy. He suddenly felt a tightness grasp him around his midsection and pull him downward. Shocked, the prince fell backwards as several long stems and roots formed perfect restraints. His wrists and elbows were immediately seized as well. Dark greenery secured his legs at the ankles and knees. Seth took a step backwards as the prince looked from side to side at the force of nature's evil that now had him captive. In a matter of seconds, he was immobilized on the ground. The hound breathed deeply and reached down, retrieving the dagger Oberon had given him. "Armour is easily removed," he rasped as he advanced towards the royal. Nuada shouted in frustration and strained against the flora. Where were the magical shrubs and foliage that had served his people years before? He had barely seen any aside from the trees since returning. He cursed himself silently and tried to summon the roots of the trees. The ancient beings remained motionless, not wanting to intrude where blood might be spilled. "This time," the hound leaned over the elf menacingly. "I will pierce what little heart you have. Die, son of Balor!"

Nuada was more frozen in disbelief than simply being held by the plants at the moment. He watched Seth draw his arm back and begin to slam the dagger downward. A roar to shame the hound's suddenly filled the forest. Titania knelt and covered her ears. Seth froze and turned as an unnatural foe came running through the forest to the clearing. He gripped the dagger intently and lowered himself, readying to destroy this creature first.

"Not play!" Ravi snarled as he bounded over to the hound hungrily. Titania let go of her head and watched in awe as the tiger landed on the hound, rolling to the side as they fought furiously. "Not play!"

The girl hurried towards Nuada and knelt, trying to pull the flowering stems free of the roots that gave them the power to anchor the elf in place. She managed to free his right arm first, giving the elf opportunity to snatch the spear back into his hand and begin hacking away at the rest of his bonds. Titania scooted backwards, finding an unusual gracefulness had been granted to her despite the choppy pounding of her heart. The elf stood quickly and reached down for Titania. The girl took his hand and allowed him to help her stand. As soon as she was steady and upright, he turned towards the tiger and hound as the growling and snarling faded. Seth let out a desperate howl that quaked with the realization of death. Nuada grinned. Pride was never a prudent accessory to one's arsenal. The tiger had clamped its jaws around each arm, tearing them free of the shoulders before reaching down for the beast's neck and wrenching it firmly to the side. Blood coursed over the tiger's muzzle and ground as the 'snap' that had followed rang through the clearing.

Ravi panted and stepped away from the corpse, his tongue dangling slightly from his mouth in exhaustion. The elf and the girl smiled brightly at their rescuer. Ravi heaved several large breaths before padding slowly to the two and swaying. Titania knelt and took either side of the tiger's head in her hands.

"Ravi, what's wrong?" she asked as if the display had made her expect to hear the animal answer. Ravi groaned and leaned more heavily to the side, falling to the ground. His tail twitched in agitation and pain as he drew one paw upward toward the kneeling girl. She screamed as she noticed what lay embedded beneath the base of his leg. Protruding from the tiger's chest was the dagger. Nuada gasped. "Ravi, no!" Titania cried in horror, feeling all energy to do anything other than praying, begging, or screaming, leave her extremities. She looked up at the elf helplessly. "Please, do something!"

"I . . . ," Nuada stammered at realizing his own helplessness here. The Morrighan watched in amusement as the elf's eyes filled with remorse. The prince trembled slightly as he stared down at the desperate girl. "I cannot."


	21. A Brief Encounter

**Chapter 21**

Titania stared at the prince in disbelief. He was the future ruler of all magical creatures and there was nothing he could do? She scowled at him, a swelling of rage quickly replacing the desperate sadness. "I don't care what you have to do to help him, just do it!" she screamed. "I know you can!"

"Titania, it is forbidden!" the prince shouted back firmly. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as he continued, just as frustrated as the girl at the moment. "When a lower beast comes to the aide of king or country then the earth is the only being with the authority to spare or take its life. I can avenge him, but I cannot heal him. It is the law of our people."

"That's never stopped you before!" Titania shot back, taking the tiger's shoulders into her arms. She sobbed heavily as the beast groaned, glancing towards the fallen corpse of Seth with satisfaction. "Why can't you just help him?" she wept as she buried her head in the thick fur on the tiger's neck. Nuada shook his head and knelt beside the girl, placing a hand on Ravi's shoulder. "Please, don't let him die because of me."

"It was not your doing," Nuada said softly as he continued looking the tiger over more carefully. A relieved smile crossed the prince's dark lips as he took in the tiger's breathing and groaning. He sighed and reached for the dagger. "And he will not die," the prince corrected as he carefully and slowly withdrew the blade. Ravi let out an unusual roar and struggled to move away from the two. Titania gasped and scooted away as the tiger shook himself and laid back on the ground, now nursing the wound that had been left. "Seth's aim was poor, he struck nothing vital. No hound was meant to do battle with a cat, especially an enormous one like this."

"He'll be fine?" she asked as she eased herself closer to her maimed companion. She watched the tiger lick the area furiously, grunting and snorting every now and again in pain. He growled more loudly as Titania came nearer to him. She felt a firm hand clamp down on her shoulder and draw her backwards. She glanced up, seeing Nuada watch the tiger apprehensively.

"Do not venture near him while he is injured," the prince instructed. Titania frowned at him in more than disapproval. "He would harm you even if he knows it is a friend that approaches."

"You were going to just let him die," the girl said aloud with a stern tone of anger. Nuada looked away, wondering how best to explain this without making her feel too ignorant.

"I am duty bound by nature to never intrude on its authority," he explained. Titania turned away, still furious at the thought of someone allowing a creature to die. "You must understand, Titania, that there are rules even in my realm that are not what we might consider fair, but they exist for the good of our world and the betterment of all creatures."

"How can allowing an innocent creature to die be for the betterment of anything?" she retorted. He frowned and forced aside the desire to shout the reply.

"You do not understand the ways of the universe, Titania," he replied slowly. She pulled her shoulder free of his hand and stood, still glaring at him. The prince frowned as she turned to walk towards the tiger. "Neither do I."

Titania froze. A softer expression crossed her face. "What?" she asked, hoping to hear the elf say that he was equal to her in this instance at least.

"I do not understand the ways of the universe or nature, Titania, any more than you do," he repeated. "We live with an understanding of our world of its methods, but not to comprehend its intentions or the maps fate has drawn. The wisest of beings knows when winter will come and that it will grow cold, but they do not comprehend what purpose one winter will create years later. I have come to accept this limitation and trust nature's judgment in these matters."

"Then why would you be so hateful of humanity for being so widespread on the earth? It's in our nature to explore and settle," she said. "Why do you trust nature about what you call lower animals, but not in regard to what the universe has planned for humanity?"

The prince felt a sharp twinge stab from the back of his head and down into his chest. His father had spoken of the nature of humanity being allowed to roam freely. He had always thought of this being meant to say that what humans do cannot be undone easily and so the king would refuse to take action that required sacrifice. In truth, the elf had never even considered the idea that humans were a part of nature's realm as well. He looked to the side, contemplating the words for a moment. A loud cawing caught the elf's attention. He whirled around to face the branch where The Morrighan perched more openly. She laughed and croaked as if applauding verbally and spitefully.

"Well done, nephew," the mynah cackled. Nuada frowned and glared at the bird. "I suppose I was wrong about your limited strength, then again I suppose much more is possible for you with a big cat coming to your rescue."

"How could you?" the prince hissed as he moved closer to the tree. "How could you sit there and observe while I was attacked?! I might've been killed!" He glance behind him, watching Titania as she continued to make sure the tiger would live without disturbing him too greatly. He faced his aunt once again, fuming. "Titania could have been killed, or worse, made to mourn!"

"You've grown awfully fond of the human girl," she replied in amusement hopping to a lower branch. "Fitting. Your sparing her life thus far practically negates the future."

"What future?" Nuada asked narrowing his eyes hatefully at the creature. He was growing more and more disdainful of any interactions with his aunt.

The mynah laughed all the louder and flitted to another tree, displaying her desire to leave the clearing momentarily. "Ah, yes, my prince. You have forgotten about the gifts of the sisterhood, my gift of vision. I find a great deal of pleasure in revealing the darker portion of what is to come upon you," she rasped. The Morrighan had never taken true joy in delivering bad news, but her very nature was to crave darkness and the frenzy of war. She delighted in creation, but only in that it rose from destruction. She cocked her head to one side, relishing her nephew's undivided attention. "I have seen your battle with Oberon and your rise to the throne. I have even seen your dealings with the demon, Anung un Rama. More importantly, my prince, I have seen the very manner by which you kill Titania."

"Liar!" Nuada shouted and reached out to take the bird in his hand. The Morrighan cawed and flew swiftly out of the clearing, laughing wickedly.

"You will be the death of her, nephew!" she called. "That is your fate!"

Nuada growled in frustration, contemplating whether or not he should go after her, skewer her, and let the consequences follow whatever they might be. He had never been so angry before, ever. He had been plenty harmed and saddened, but never so insulted. The Morrighan was trying to distract him. Perhaps it was distraction that had kept him from being so efficient in fighting Seth. Titania was a distraction as well, but nowhere near as caustic as The Morrighan. He knew that she wished for anyone else to take the throne . . . well, almost anyone else. She, like the other magical creatures, were dissatisfied enough with Oberon to have him killed instead of banished again. The prince sighed heavily and strode over to where he had allowed his spear to lay. When Ravi had bitten into the hound's neck, the prince had been so taken by surprise that he had forgotten to retrieve the weapon after helping Titania stand. He grasped the hilt tightly and walked over to the mangled remains of Seth. The beast had taken a vial out of his hidden pocket before being killed. The vial had contained a black fluid, obviously poison of some kind. He leaned over the creature, glancing over the blood-soaked fur for any sign of the vial. Near the hound's torn throat there glinted the silver-corked end of the vial. The stopper was obviously meant to keep its owner from suffering the effects of the poison should it leak.

"I'm going to call Magnus so that he can call for help," Titania announced as she began fishing through her pockets for her phone. She frowned. She must have forgotten it back at the mansion. Nuada ignored her, gently taking the stopper between his thumb and forefinger to hold it aloft. A waft of burning sulfur and foul meat suddenly met him. He coughed and held the vial away, now sure that it had been concocted by the gnomes for Oberon's use. "Do you think he's bleeding too badly? I can't really tell. We might be able to get him back home ourselves. Could you come and look?"

The prince barely heard the girl's voice as he focused on what was causing the scent. The vial had been sealed. He glanced down at his arm. A stinging cold rushed through him at seeing a large crack in the vial. Black fluid had been dripping so slowly from it as he had held it, that he had scarcely noticed the gnome curse forming on his wrist. Nuada cried out in shock and hurled the vial back at the hound's body. Titania heard this and turned towards him, still trying to get close enough to Ravi to assess him without getting mauled. The vial shattered against the fur and bone. The elf's expression fell. The glass had been meant to shatter in case the messenger met with some unfortunate accident such as a 300 hundred pound Bengal tiger. Once on the ground or on the flesh, the gnome curse became lethal. All it needed was to spread from the flesh of a living creature to its brain or to stagnate pools in order to become fatal.

"What's wrong?" Titania asked as she stood and began to walk towards him. Nuada furiously tried to scrape the curse off of himself with no results. Titania felt a little torn as to who needed her more at the moment. Nuada seemed to be desperate to remove his wrist band. She stood quickly and raced over to him, trying to take hold of the hand in question. Nuada remained intent on getting the infernal substance off as hurriedly as he could, that he hadn't been able to hear or see Titania approach. Now, he was unable to stop her from touching his wrist. He jerked his hand back instinctively and heard the girl cry out. "What is that?!"

"A gnome curse," he explained through gritted teeth as he turned away from her and began clawing at his own skin. _Wretched, vomiting hounds of Dyfed,_ he cursed to himself; _I must keep this from spreading!_ The curse had already made its way to five inches above his wrist. It made small ink blot shapes with no set pattern as it moved.

"What do I do?!" Titania shrieked. The elf growled. Now was not the time for her to panic.

"Go and get Puck, I can keep this from advancing too greatly," he snarled in irritation. "Hurry."

"What about the one on me?!" she asked vehemently. Nuada stood still for a moment before turning to face the girl. Titania now stood grasping her left wrist firmly. The prince could clearly see the blotchy markings of the gnome curse. She must have accidentally acquired a portion of it when trying to help him. He growled more furiously and watched as the darkness began moving towards her elbow. She looked into his eyes in terror. "What do we do?!"

Nuada breathed heavily, panting and inwardly pacing like a dog chained to a tree. He continued holding his arm firmly, trying to go over several possible solutions at once. All of the ideas and facts in his brain either flew past too quickly for him to have any meaningful use from them, or they disappeared with panic as he managed to concentrate on them. He shouted angrily at the heavens, finding himself at a total loss. He was royalty of this realm, the future lord of all magical creatures; yet not only had he managed to almost be killed by a simple rogue hound, he had also taken hold of a gnome's curse, and then he had transferred it as well. He would have to do without sleep and build both endurance, strength, and sheer focus before he entered the Faerie Ring. No creature would bow to a being that could barely defend itself from a basic enemy, he certainly wouldn't.

"Sire?" Puck's voice called from a good twelve feet away. Ravi stirred, but did not move towards the pwca. Nuada felt a measure of relief at hearing the faerie's voice now. "Sire, is something wrong?"

"Puck, go and summon the Clionatha, it is urgent, now!" he ordered. Titania began gasping and shouting with every small leap the curse made towards her shoulder. "Move quickly, we need to remove a curse!"

"Yes, sire," Puck replied quickly. The prince could barely hear the leaves and branches rustling as the pwca headed for the elder tree to summon the healer. The Clionatha would come to the aide of any warrior in dire situations. He glanced towards Titania once again, a sinking feeling overtaking him as he watched her sink to the ground against a tree. She groaned and realizing that she had just slightly twisted her ankle. She grasped it once instinctively, feeling for any bleeding or breakage. She withdrew her hand quickly, seeing the curse begin to move even further up her arm and towards her shoulder. He turned away and looked towards the sky. This was dire enough. Being back in the peace of court for a few days would be most refreshing. Refreshing . . . water! His mind suddenly came to a halt with a wonderful idea, all the spinning and buzzing fading into one shimmering theory. He turned towards Titania and grasped her by the arm, bidding her silently to follow him. The girl didn't hesitate, but she did stare at the prince in confusion as they hurried out of the clearing. Nuada sniffed the air carefully. He was feeling quite disoriented from the recent events, which still made no sense to the stalwart elf, and he was unsure of where exactly the stream had been.

"Where are we going?" Titania asked, her voice shaking.

"Water," he said softly. "Curses, evil, malevolence, they cannot spread through water."

---------------------

Manning stood beside Dr. Krauss as they looked over a detailed, and rather worn, map. Red stood fiddling with a pair of the glasses that they had used on the last venture into the Troll Market. Abe stood anxiously near the door. Nuala had been left in the care of Liz for the next few moments. As much as the pyro had protested the idea of the team going anywhere without her, it had been decided that the prince would be more violent and dedicated to destroying humans than before. She was also reminded of the fact that she was the only real human in the group. It helped her cause even less that she happened to be the only member of the team expecting twins. Manning sighed as Krauss took out an ink pen and began scribbling numbers, letters, and a grid pattern over it. Abe gasped.

"Dr. Krauss, that map is over a hundred years old and hand drawn!" he said in horror.

"Be that as it may, we need to mark our progress without electronics," the ectoplasm said firmly. "We cannot afford to make any contact back to Dr. Manning once we enter the market this time."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave the princess and Liz unattended while that freak is out there? What if he comes in while we're gone?" Red asked. Manning shook his head and glanced at the map, feeling a great deal of apprehension at thinking he would now be the only real human on the team.

"No, no he can't get in. We've upped security at the gate and inside the first level," he replied.

"Yeah, and we saw how effective security was against him last time," Red muttered. "Couldn't we ask the princess to look again? Maybe she's missing something."

"She's sure he's alive, nothing else. She said she could sense that he was in a forest somewhere, but then she also said that she couldn't feel or see anything from him the way she used to," Abe replied. "It's difficult for her to concentrate on a link between them after being convinced that he was dead. Not to mention how exhausted she is from taking care of Leopold. Still, if Nuala was reborn under a tree, which she says is where all elves are reborn, then perhaps the prince is still in the forest where he was reborn as well."

"There you go, a forest, not the city," Red continued. He looked towards Manning. "I say you let me go to the market alone and the rest of you stay here just in case."

"Are you forgetting that he's already almost killed you once?" Krauss interjected. "No one is going out alone."

"I'm sorry, I'm having trouble remembering anything before pounding him halfway to eternity in Ireland," the demon shot back. "I think I can handle this. Manning?"

"No one should go out alone," the man replied with a heavy sigh. "Maybe you're onto something, though. How about this, Dr. Krauss, you and Red go into the market and tell us what you see. If he's there, he'll come after Red."

"And if he isn't?" the demon asked, very sure of the fact that had the prince been as close as only one state line away that he would have already come and tried to remove his sister and concoct some other nefarious scheme to eradicate mankind.

"Then we try to encourage the princess to look all the harder for him," Dr. Krauss said as he quickly folded the map. "We have the advantage of being aware of him without him being aware of it for the moment. Let's move out now and strike while we have the element of surprise."

"He's not gonna be there," Red muttered as he headed for the door. Manning watched the demon and the walking suit exit the room. Abe shook his head and followed after. There were a few things he wanted to be sure of before the demon left. The link still existed to some extent between brother and sister, so killing Nuada would, once again, mean killing Nuala.

Manning breathed deeply, trying to exhale the terrible anxiety that surged through his abdomen. He reached into his pocket for the antacids, dropping a few things on the floor at the same time. He grumbled and knelt to retrieve them. He gathered up the odds and ends that he kept in his pocket for emergencies; more tablets, a small bottle of mints, a handkerchief, a pen, and a picture of Titania. He glanced at it with concern. He suddenly remembered the phone call from Nadia. He would have to talk to her sooner or later. He sighed and carefully placed each object back into his pocket as he reached for his phone. The woman would be waiting for him to call, she never had handled someone not being available to her very well. He pressed the reply key and held the phone to his ear. The electronic ringing sent a jolt through his chest, a sliver of lightning piercing him with each inhuman tone. Four rings later, an automated voice told him that Nadia was unavailable, but anxious to get back to him if he would leave his name and phone number. He groaned and clicked the phone screen back down. He needed to concentrate on one thing at a time for now. This time, though, he was going to make a more physical attempt to help his team. Another wave of hydrochloric acid crashed against his organs. There were no other options for him at the moment; Thomas Manning, field agent.

------------------------

"How long do we have to stay like this?" Titania asked with teeth chattering.

Nuada turned to her, trying his best to keep from shivering as madly as the girl was doing. The prince had found the stream quickly and ordered her to climb into the water, kneel, and keep only her head above the water. Unfortunately the elf had not counted on the water being so very cold. Titania groaned and looked back towards the shore. She had kept every article of clothing on (nearly deliberately, but the first reason was that she and the prince had leapt into the stream without a moment's hesitation) and now she wished that she had worn at least three layers more.

"The Clionatha should be here any moment now," Nuada replied. It was hard for him to determine exactly how much time they had spent in the stream. He breathed deeply, doing his best to ignore the cold biting harshly at his limbs. No doubt Oberon would be sending greater assassins with weapons he had not seen since his boyhood. He had been nine years old when he had begun training, at least by human reckoning. Elves aged one hundred years to every human's one in their childhood and slowed until fading after reaching adolescence. He thought about what would await him as an adult in the otherworld now. He was realizing more and more that he knew very little of his own realm by comparison to the forces against him. That would have to change quickly. A rustling through the branches nearby caught the attention of both the elf and the girl. "Puck?"

"I am here, your excellency," the pwca panted as he raced over to the edge of the stream. He was no longer in rabbit form and the enormous animal-ears he still sported bounced on his shoulders comically. "The Clionatha was loath to come here, she is trying to heal the earth where Seth fell. She sends this and bids that you simply wash the curse away with it, and also to think twice before you throw something on the ground again." Puck withdrew a large opalescent bottle and a pair of white cloths used exclusively in Clionatha's island beneath the earth. He noted that the water had prevented the curse from spreading too greatly and it appeared to have stopped moving several seconds after entering the stream. "Come, sire, you'll freeze to death out here."

"Come, Titania," Nuada ordered as he climbed slowly from the waters. His body felt unusually heavy and hard to maneuver from the cold. Titania groaned and hurried to climb back onto the shore. The girl had a much harder time getting the strength and focus necessary to navigate her frozen limbs back onto dry land. She shivered madly as she pulled herself onto the grassy shore using a low branch. Nuada frowned and reached down, taking her by the arm yet again. "I shall forever be carrying you at this rate."

"You aren't carrying me," Titania corrected through shuddering. "You have yet to actually carry me, just help me along."

"There is a difference?" the prince asked as they headed back towards the tree-house. It would be a warmer and more comfortable place to finish removing the curses.

"A big one," Titania said. The tree house was not more than a few minute's walk from the stream, but neither had the directional presence of mind to take the direct route. Instead, the two walked for a twelve minute eternity to the forest dwelling. The girl sighed as she saw the sun overhead begin to grow dim behind threatening clouds. The light had not been enough to warm the water and now there would be no heat for the air, either. "Why can't it stay sunny for once? I love the rain and all, but it's not a day for enjoying it."

The staircase also seemed abnormally large and difficult to climb for the girl. She groaned and breathed heavily as they climbed back into the safety of the wooden walls and roof. Titania ignored everything but getting to the middle of the floor on the first level. She rolled the central rug tightly to one side and crawled back over to a large, discoloured section of boards, leaving trails of dampness as she moved. In the very centre of the room there was a large metal circle. Nuada watched with interest as the girl pulled a handle up from a groove cut into the metal surface. She grunted as she pulled up on the handle, standing with the force she exerted.

In a few moments, she had pulled a large, circular, metal cage from the floor. It's roof and base were solid and the entire contraption was quite tall. Titania stood and made her way to a small switch on the wall. She pulled away the covering on the latch and lifted the switch, allowing an enormous metal pipe to drop vertically over the cage. She smiled slightly and hurried back to the object, making sure that the end of the pipe was perfectly placed over the top before removing the metal covering that had laid over it. Nuada slowly walked towards it as Titania went into the 'dining area' and opened one of the cupboards.

"Magnus helped me install this years ago," she said as she began pulling wooden logs from the cupboard and laying them in a pile. She walked back over to the cage, placing the logs inside and then hurried back to the cupboard to find a set of matches. "He felt that it might come in handy when I stayed out here for a day or two. That metal around its base keeps the rest of the house from catching fire and that pipe allows the smoke through the ceiling. This will get things warmed up in no time."

"Interesting," the elf said softly as he watched the girl strike one of the matches. As she set the match on the wood, sparks and smoke began to dance brightly. Nuada had been fascinated by fire from birth. Having a mother that could manipulate natural flames made for incredibly unusual and amazing family time. He could remember he and his sister trying desperately to discover their mother's secret and have the ability to create flame from a simple wave of the hand. Aine's gift had been innate and neither of the twins had been as gifted in that regard. Seeing the flames dance made him long for his sister and mother all the more. He shook his head and turned to Titania. "Go and undress."

"Excuse me?!" Titania exclaimed taking a defensive step backwards.

"You'll get ill again unless you dry off quickly. Go and undress; I am sure Puck can find you a blanket to put on while everything dries," Nuada said motioning towards the ladder. Titania frowned and glanced at Puck apprehensively.

"I can get a blanket myself," she muttered.

"Very well, then," Nuada said pointing more firmly at the ladder. "Go quickly, we need to remove these curses as soon as we can or they may live again."

Titania hesitated, glancing towards Puck for further assurance that this was safe. The pwca had returned to his faerie form and was ringing out his long ears near the growing fire. He smiled kindly at her and shook himself.

"It's alright, Titania," he said. "You really don't want to be kept inside again so close to the eclipse."

The girl nodded and headed towards the stairs. She didn't truly feel comfortable with this, but she also didn't want her mother forcing her to stay away from the forest again. She climbed up the stairs as gracefully as she could manage, closing the door as she stepped in to the room. She couldn't remember ever closing the door but once in all the years she had spent in the tree house, but it was necessary now. A few odd thoughts about the questions she still had for the prince bounced around in her mind as she pulled off every article of clothing. She laid them on the bed and stared at them anxiously. For as much as she was uncomfortable with the prince seeing her in the buff, she was even less comfortable with the thought of him seeing her unmentionables. She sighed heavily and placed her undergarments within her shirt. They would dry more slowly, but unseen.

"Are you alright, Titania?" Puck called from the first level. Titania growled softly, a little irritated that she had been 'interrupted' during something incredibly awkward.

"I'm fine, I'll be down in a minute. DON'T COME UP HERE!" she shouted back down, hoping to make it more than obvious that she was not decent. She turned towards the closet and noticed three blankets still folded and lying on the bottom shelf. She hurried over to the shelf, shivering all the more now that she had nothing to act as a buffer between herself and the cold air. She pulled the first blanket hurriedly around her shoulders and wrapped it more tightly around the rest of her body. The blankets were all enormous king-sized quilts that friends of Misses Badcrumble had made years ago. The down and wool batting within them made them similar in size and shape to a mattress. She breathed deeply and opened the door, frowning at the thought of climbing down the stairs with only the blanket. "Go into the dining room."

"Why?" Nuada called up towards her. Puck placed a hand on his arm and began hurrying him away from the ladder.

"Don't ask that, she's anxious enough," the pwca hissed. The elf frowned and pulled his arm away from the pwca as they stood waiting. "Sit as far from her as possible without being too obvious."

"What is wrong with you?" the prince whispered looking angrily at the rabbit faerie. "I am not going to sit and gawk at her, you fool."

"You won't have to, she'll see even the smallest movement you make as an advance," the pwca replied. The elf sighed and looked away, muttering to himself about 'ridiculous notions'. Puck watched as the girl made herself comfortable by the fire and the prince headed towards the ladder. "Your highness, where are you going?"

"To do the same," Nuada replied as he began quickly scaling the stairs. "Puck, give Titania the cleanser and help her remove as much of the curse as you can." The prince closed the door behind him, hearing Titania's voice repeating the phrase 'I can do it myself' a number of times. He sighed heavily and pulled off the heavy, wet tunic and leather-mail. These clothes had never been so heavy or difficult to handle before. Then again, an enemy had never been so difficult to handle before. The only reason he could think of for the demon being able to best him, was the distraction that the thought of his sister running off with a creature had presented to him. His eyes widened at the thought of his sister being near Abraham at that very moment. He had to hurry and finish The Morrighan's tasks and rally the rest of his people to stand against humanity and reunite the remnant of the royal family.

Titania scrubbed her arm furiously with the white cloth and cleanser. Pale, peach skin appeared as the fluid swept the marks away with each furious rub of the cloth. The fluid in the strange bottle smelled like oranges and daisies in cedar. She contemplated asking what the fluid was made of, but decided against it. It was one thing to ask questions about the customs and races, another entirely to ask about the secrets of faerie healing and magic. It would be inappropriate and pryful to ask about those things. She suddenly noticed that her right ankle had one of the dark markings. She had grasped the back of her leg instinctively when she had sat down holding onto her wrist, it must have spread then. Nuada climbed back down the ladder, a blanket draped around his broad, pale shoulders as well. His white gold hair seemed more like a veil when wet. The two sat near one another, not daring to glance at the other as they continued removing the curses.

The prince finished carefully washing away the last part of the gnome curse from his own arm. Titania grunted, still scrubbing harshly at the mark on her elbow. She had managed to scrub away the markings from her left arm, but not the last two on her wrist and right ankle. Nuada watched the girl struggling to remove the mark vigorously. He sighed heavily, remembering her quick thinking and sacrifice repeatedly since they had met. He moved closer to her with the cloth still in his hand and poured more of the cleanser into it before applying it to her ankle. Titania gasped in shock and pulled away. The prince froze and looked up at her, afraid he might have touched a wound. The girl was not wincing in pain. She blushed and turned her attention to scrubbing the mark from her ankle instead, hiding a broad grin.

"Are you injured?" he asked in genuine concern.

"No," she replied sheepishly. "I'm ticklish, sorry about that."

"No need to apologize," he said watching her continue to work madly at removing the curse. He should have moved more quickly. Why had he been so sluggish and poorly coordinated since returning? He sighed and tried to think of something, anything to say to ease the tension. "My sister had the same problem, actually. In the very same region, I might add."

"Let me guess, you used it against her whenever you'd fight," Titania said smiling. She almost envied the prince's childhood, having a sibling.

"Only once, that I can recall," he continued. "We were most strongly linked then, you see. What happened to one of us happened to the other in one fashion or another. The first and only time I tried we both ended up quite helpless."

"That must have driven your parents crazy! The things you probably did to get back at each other!" Titania wondered aloud. "You really could have used that whole 'stop hitting yourself' thing."

"Not at all," he whispered glancing away. Titania saw a sadness in his eyes that spoke of an ever growing ache. He missed his sister. "The link began to dwindle as soon as mother died. We no longer felt what the other felt as strongly. Our thoughts were distanced, but the link remained when we chose to use it. She was always visiting me in exile, making sure I was well."

Titania shifted uncomfortably and sighed. She wanted desperately to tell him that she believed his sister had married her friend and that they now had a child. This all still seemed strange to Titania, and she was sure that Nuada would initially be incredibly angry at hearing the news, but it burned a terrible hole in her to think of him being so lonely without his sister while someone could tell him exactly where to find her . . . in theory. She grumbled to herself and rubbed her head. The curses had all been wiped clean away now and both her hands were free. Her thoughts, however, remained bound to anxiety. She was feeling as conflicted as when she had first been told who the prince was. She shook her head and glanced over at her clothing lying on the floor and drying. She frowned and bit her bottom lip. She was growing more and more anxious by the minute sitting her beside him.

"Oh good, the clouds are clearing. I don't think it will last, though," Puck said as he rested his paws on the windowsill.

"I should head home," Titania said hurriedly. Nuada stared at her in confusion.

"But your clothes are still wet," he argued. Titania shook her head and gathered up the bundle of soaked clothing while still holding the blanket around her. "You will be miserable walking home now."

"I can't stay here tonight, my mom will freak out," she said as she began thoughtlessly climbing up the ladder. Closing the door, she began rapidly struggling to pull on the wet clothes in record least amount of time possible. She didn't want to wait any longer to leave this situation. She felt more vulnerable emotionally than physically as she began pulling on her pants and tunic furiously. "Don't start now, not now. This is ridiculous, he's got to be at least a thousand years older than you! It's just admiration, that's all."

The ladder's rungs seemed more dangerous in the squishy boots as she climbed down the last time. She moved quickly towards the door, glancing momentarily at the confused elf and pwca. She frowned and pulled a strand of matted hair away from her face.

"Titania, you really should . . ." Puck began.

"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Now that mom is back things are going to be a little different," she said hurriedly. The prince sat silently, trying to determine whether or not he should order her to stay put. He decided it best to not argue the point at the moment, the girl had been put through enough in one morning. Why she felt it necessary to hurry home when nightfall was a good distance away was beyond him, but females were rarely rational when they felt truly threatened or vulnerable (which the prince felt was a good portion of their lives). "Oh, and there's something from Misses Badcrumble and me on the table for you." She hurried towards the door, wanting to simply phase back into her own room and hide under the bed. "Goodbye for now and happy birthday, your highness," she said quickly as she swept out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Nuada shook his head and pulled the blanket more tightly around himself, gazing into the fire for answers. If Titania was a distraction, which of course she was, then he needed to limit interaction with her. How could he protect her without being near her? Oberon would surely come for her as well. He sighed heavily and glanced towards Puck who sat scratching his ear and staring at the door.

"Birthday?" the pwca said in confusion.

"No, not less time," the prince thought aloud. Puck turned to him in bewilderment. The elf smiled slightly. "More; I need to get used to her presence, not force it away." The pwca frowned and shook his head. Things were getting more and more out of hand every passing day. The eclipse was only two nights away, but that would be more than enough time for an even greater disaster to strike the two. There had to be a way to end this before the worst happened to either.


	22. Wink, Wink

**Chapter 22**

Titania returned home quickly, having been told by a bird that Ravi had been escorted back to the mansion by the Clionatha herself. The girl had stared for a few moments at the bird, realizing that she was going to have a hard time getting used to a boring human life after all of this. Her heart sank at the thought of soon being without someone to visit in the forest. She had always loved the seclusion and peace of the woods, but that was because she hated the noises of contemporary and impassioned people around her. It seemed that nearly everyone else was focused on some ridiculous goal surrounding money, prestige, power, beauty, or acceptance. None of the first three mattered to her at all and the last two were abundant in nature if one took the time to look for them. She sighed, unable to hide a beaming smile as she strode back into the mansion. Misses Badcrumble had waited at the enormous glass door that she used and frowned as the girl approached. Titania glanced at her, then hid her face sheepishly and hurried up the stairs.

Nadia, who had been seated in the drawing room, heard her daughter enter and raced towards the base of the stairs.

"Darling! Are you alright? The tiger got out and I didn't know . . ." the woman called frantically. Titania smiled, not truly hearing what her mother was saying at the moment. Still, she knew better than to let her mother stay in a state of panic for very long. She strode back down the stairs towards the woman and answered her questions with a few sighs of longing mingled between sentences. Nadia watched her daughter carefully and then bid her to go upstairs and get ready for supper. Titania nodded and turned away, walking gracefully back up the large flight of stairs. Nadia frowned, realizing that her daughter was becoming a woman and that there was more than obviously someone else, someone tall dark and handsome, observing it. Misses Badcrumble sensed this and took a position beside the woman. "She really has it bad for him, whoever he is."

"Aye, and mark my words, missus; you can kiss that girl's innocence goodbye the next time she's out there with him," the old cook said angrily. Nadia turned to her, somewhat shocked. "That's right. All young boys; hot for it and not a care about who they hurt."

"She knows better than that, Misses Badcrumble," Nadia said with a dismissive wave and another glance up the stairs. The look in the woman's eyes spoke of something close to longing as well. "She's not like me."

The troll shook her head and scurried back to the kitchen. She had to find a way to stop this, to convince Titania to stop this without the girl actually being aware of it. She thought about Nadia's words as she rummaged through a few old and rather forbidden manuals. Titania was as pure as driven snow, courageous, mild, but still bold enough to take on Nuada without much apprehension. She might have been taken with him, but she would not easily be taken by him. Such advances, or hearing about such advances on other girls her age, made Titania furious. The cook suddenly felt an epiffany poke its way up through the mess of spells and recipes stored in her weathered brain for years. Perhaps if she thought that such a thing was all that the prince was interested in . . . She quickly began looking through the spell manual. "Let's see how appealing you are when she thinks you're a cad," the old woman said with a grin. "A good wallop from her 'll get his mind back on his proper business . . . getting the throne."

-----------------------------------

"This is really not something I want to do," Manning said with a trembling voice. He gripped the tranquilizer gun as tightly as his sweating hands would allow. The doctor had opted to head out with Red and Krauss to make sure that there would be no mistakes in Red's behaviour. He was regretting it before even exiting the vehicle. "I can do a lot more in the truck."

"Not this time, meine herr, we will not be making contact with headquarters while inside," Krauss said as they walked towards the bizarre entrance to the market. "If the prince is hiding inside, then you will be safer with us than alone in a place where he might be able to ambush. I wouldn't put it past someone that has it out for our organization."

"Whatever, I'm pounding him this time," Red muttered. He looked down at his own weapon, a smaller and rather insignificant tool for the time being. He held it aloft and groaned. "I still don't see why we have to bring him back without a hole in him. Anyways, this is probably a waste of time."

"Not now, agent," Krauss corrected as he allowed a strand of himself into the lock. Manning watched in shock as the lock began to twist and click. "Easier the second time."

"Hey, Manning, put your glasses on or you'll really stand out," Red ordered. The balding supervisor nodded and slipped on the heavy pair of paranormal spectacles. His face had been painted pale blue and he had donned a heavy grey cloak to use as a disguise. The paint didn't necessarily make him like another race in particular, but it did make him look much less human. His eyes widened under the layers of glass and leather as the door pulled away. Hordes of unusual and truly amazing creatures stalked past as the three entered. Manning gasped as four large, green and black goblins hobbled by laughing. A great, yellow slug in a red-feathered hat slunk by as well, tipping it to the demon and giving a wink. Manning shuddered and held the gun more tightly. "It's even better than I remembered."

"What is that smell?" Manning asked. The entire area was surprising pleasant. It didn't seem as sinister or foul as he had expected; instead it seemed colourful and warm, like any number of the friendly foreign markets in New York. "It's like . . ."

"Don't ask that, Manning," Red warned as they walked slowly through the strange crowds. "You may not want to hear the answer."

"Do you remember where he lived? Did he even live here?" Manning continued. Krauss turned around and stared at the man harshly.

"Be more quiet, Dr. Manning," the entity hissed. "Your breath will attract attention. You are not one of them, after all."

"Right," Manning said quickly. The group scanned carefully over the crowds of artisans and street performers, messengers, shop-keeps, apothecaries, food vendors, and numerous patrons wandering around the market. "Amazing."

"This way," Krauss suddenly announced. Red stared at him in confusion as Manning began following mindlessly. He lost himself in marveling at the creatures and their incredible costumes. "I think I can read the auras this time. The prince lived beneath the market."

"Really," Red laughed. "How do you know that?"

"Those creatures over there, I can hear them talking," Krauss explained. The group moved towards a stone staircase leading past a corner market that sold various dried herbs and rope. As the three came closer to the tiny beings, Red could barely make out the sounds of the faerie tongue the creature they had retrieved from the auction house had been speaking. "I was able to pick up the basics of faerie language shortly after our last visit, I will try to pick up on the troll language next."

"So what are they saying?" Manning asked uneasily as they came up to the edge of the staircase.

"They are saying 'the prince has not been here for some time, should someone go down and tell _him_, the prince is not returning home, perhaps he has found a new dwelling' among a few other things," Krauss explained as they descended the stairs. Red could hear several small voices screaming and protesting as he walked by. "They also say '_he_ will not be happy to see the red man again' and I think in that much they refer to you, Agent Hellboy."

"You think?" Red muttered as he glared at the warped beings. They appeared to be monkey like in their movements, rodent like in size, and made of beige wood with a strange sheen that might have been fluid. Some had two heads with three arms, some had one head and four arms, each with odd combinations of limbs and twittering voices without mouths. Red grunted, kicking one out of the way in frustration. "He's not here, then. We should get back to the girls."

"Wait a minute," Manning said as they reached the bottom of the staircase. "You kept saying '_he_' and also talking about the prince, Dr. Krauss. Who's the_ he_?"

"I'm not sure," Krauss said. The three glanced around at the dimly lit 'apartment' that had apparently belonged to Nuada. There were two rooms with large openings out of the wall onto walkways that fused with the stairs; one a study/dining room, and the other a bedroom. The central portion at the very base of the stairs looked up into a manhole. A subway train sped by, spraying water towards the display of alchemist's tools and fireplace that lay opposite the bedroom opening. Red glanced down at an antique chair more intricately carved than any Chippendale. Manning glanced over at an extravagant light fixture that resembled a glass chandelier. "Well, he certainly tried to maintain his previous lifestyle."

"Pretty boys like that can't really rough it," Red remarked with a smirk as he strode towards the table of tools. "I told you he wasn't here."

"A-a-again, I really wish we knew who or what that other 'he' they were talking about is and where they are exactly," Manning said, beginning to tremble more and more. Being away from the warmth and noise of the open market made him all the more afraid. _Strange_, he thought in the back of his mind, _that it should be more frightening away from the strange creatures than down here where no one is watching_. "Maybe they were talking about a servant or something, royalty keep those around, right?"

"Indeed, I believe the prince kept a number of trolls and ogres in his service," Krauss commented as he walked slowly towards the subway tracks. "I wonder if they are aware of his rumoured death."

A loud roar suddenly broke the strained stillness beneath the market. The entity and demon turned and began searching for the source while Manning crouched and fumbled to keep his finger on the trigger. He groaned, feeling anxious nausea working its way past the ever-present layer of protective minty calcium. The sound of heavy and unsteady footsteps came thundering towards the alcove. The group continued scanning for several moments, unable to detect where the noise was coming from. Manning was more concentrated on the _what_ that was creating the noise, being less than unaccustomed to handling field work. He gasped and stumbled backwards as the what made itself visible. The dark outline of an enormous being with broad shoulders, thick arms and legs, a small head, and a back filled with quill-like spines was lumbering towards the group slowly and angrily from beyond the subway tracks. Red frowned.

"Oh, crap. Not again," he grumbled. "I thought I killed this joker?"

Dr. Krauss watched the creature walk into the centre of the room and crouch slightly before letting out an even louder roar. It pointed its still maimed metallic appendage at the demon before pointing to other cuts, bruises, burn marks, and battered armour. With each gesture, a troll-threat followed. "I think he remembers you," the entity remarked.

"Great, not only is the prince back, Mr. Nasty's back too," the demon said as he withdrew the small pistol. "I should've brought my own gun."

Wink roared furiously and barreled towards the demon, fist at the ready. BANG! The sound of gunfire stunned everyone in the room for a split second. Red turned and looked back at Manning who now held the tranquilizer gun at shoulder level. He smirked. Manning breathed deeply and watched as the troll groaned and fell to the ground. Krauss cried out, leaping out of the falling beast's way. The demon walked over to his superior with a broad grin of approval. He placed his arm around the man almost affectionately and laughed.

"Great shot, Manning," he said. "Now we can take him home and play with him."

"Now we must use the radio," Dr. Krauss said. He glanced down at the beast who still lay groaning as the sedative took effect. Manning had been warned that the drugs contained in each bullet were fatal to human beings and any other creatures of lesser stature than an elephant. "Agent Xircond, we have a captive to interrogate at headquarters. Come and help with retrieval. Over und out."

"I really did something," Manning whispered as he felt blood begin to rush to his head. This was almost exhilarating, almost enjoyable. He had done something truly masculine, necessary to the team's work! He smiled and exhaled sharply. Perhaps he could handle doing a little recon.

The group did not speak fluent troll and were thus unable to fully understand the final utterings of Wink as he slipped into unconsciousness. "_Where_ _is he? What have you done with my master?_" the beast groaned as he closed his good eye. _"Nuada, where are you little prince?"_

-----------------------------------

Nuada had fallen asleep in front of the fire, exhausted from his battle with Seth, the fear of losing Titania, and a restless night before. He groaned as he felt more dreams of the past descending. It was not restful for any creature to revisit the past in their sleep, but it did give him a clearer view of the future. He sighed and simply allowed the scenery to unfold. Perhaps if he concentrated more on viewing the memories and less on trying to live them again, he would find sleep more restful. He could make outlay of his home under the troll market. The comfortable apartment with his nice, warm bed and the familiar sounds of magical beings above. How he missed it. The forest was wonderful, but there were things even in the cold and stone laden city that he missed very much.

There was another day many years ago where he had remembered the day he was born, eleven years ago to the day it had been. He had been preparing to strike against humanity, wandering the backmost streets late at night and dispatching the unsavoury humans stalking the streets. There were never any females, he remembered, only males with dark intentions and steel weapons. They usually traveled in groups, small groups each with a purpose more foul than the elf's. He had not celebrated the day of his birth since childhood, but he had always seen it as a milestone, a marker to draw him closer to his goal. _Only a little more time_, he told himself, _a little longer and I will have found the human's piece of the crown_. The prince had done all the research he could using the other magical creatures (who often had dealings with some of the younger mortals in passing) in trying to locate the crown piece that Balor had entrusted to man. He had given the other piece to his daughter, a gesture seen by those in the court as inappropriate; the prince should have been the bearer of the other piece. Some of the elves even theorized that it was resentment for not being trusted that had driven the young prince mad.

This night was particularly dark, cold, and wet. Noises from pedestrians on the other sides of the buildings bustling around trying to get out of the rain were nearly as loud as the klaxon resonance of their horrid vehicles. He had heard a strange sound that night, one that would haunt him and make him reconsider the war for a brief moment. It was the sound of a child screaming. Instinct, and instinct alone, had drawn the prince towards the sound hurriedly. He had followed the sound back to the manhole he had used to enter and exit his home. He narrowed his eyes and breathed deeply. A young human could not have survived a fall into his dwelling, could it? Quickly, he hopped down and glanced around the dwelling. Sitting not far from the shallow pool beneath the manhole, was the child. It sat trembling and covering its eyes with two hands, crying madly.

Wink was standing nearby, glancing at the prince apprehensively. The elf gave his friend a firm look of disapproval. The troll growled and took a step backwards, gesturing towards the child and explaining to the prince that it had fallen in shortly after he had left. Nuada had usually left the covering off the hole while away. He never stayed away while the majority of vehicles crossed his part of the city, so there was no need to keep it on. Now, he would think twice before wandering out again. Wink growled more loudly in his native tongue, _it's hurt_.

"And?" the elf had said coldly. The troll roared, pointing at the elf reproachfully. Nuada scowled back at him. "It had no business being away from its parents. Humans never were keen on raising their young effectively."

The troll gave a more guttural growl and took an angry step towards the prince. As vicious and focused as the troll was, he knew better than to harm an innocent creature. It was something that had separated common trolls from ogres, cruelty not heartlessness. Nuada sighed heavily and walked towards the child who still wailed loudly, looking at the floor. _Take it back before they come to look_, Wink had said. _They __**will**__ come looking_.

The elf remembered feeling especially irritated with the troll that night. How he wished he could be so angry at his friend again, it would mean the beast was near and not dead. A sadness began to stir within him at the memory of his friend. The sadness was quickly set aside when the child looked into the elf's eyes. Nuada felt a cold chill move through him.

The elf stared in disbelief at the figure of the small, weeping human child that sat quivering before him. This might have been a memory, and it might have been many years before, but he could make out the features of a present friend clearly in the girl's . . . Titania. She wiped her eyes and nose, still wailing as she shivered and held her head. He reached down and carefully took her into his arms, gazing deeply into the tender, young, green eyes that now held his full attention in his waking moments. He looked her over more carefully, pulling her hair aside to look at the round form of her ears. He noticed a large wound that had begun to bleed ever so slightly on the side of the girl's head. He frowned and gently placed a hand over it, praying that he could distract her with his gaze from the pain that was about to commence. The girl became still and quiet, staring with great interest into his amber irises. He removed his hand as he felt the flesh close and repair. She shook her head and scratched at her ear for a moment. She looked back at him calmly as he stroked her forehead tenderly.

"It was you," her voice realized aloud from her own dream. The elf felt a bolt of lightning strike him as he sat upright. The night was freezing and he gasped for breath painfully in the cold air. The blanket had shifted during the dream, leaving the prince vulnerable to the cold as the fire began dwindling. Puck stirred and hopped over to him.

"Sire?" he said in concern.

"Great Danu," he whispered looking to the side. The pwca continued to stare at his master worriedly. Nuada turned and stared just as deeply as he had done to the girl into the eyes of the rabbit spirit. "It is fate; we _are_ linked."

"But, sire . . ." the rabbit began to protest.

"Years ago . . . beneath the city . . . I spared her," he said. He smirked and breathed more deeply as he leaned back. "She was not afraid of me." His mind spun happily. When the time came for Titania to shed this mortal coil, he truly would have a soul-mate.


	23. Found And Then Lost

**Chapter 23**

Titania smiled in her own dream, gazing back into the eyes of the prince. She felt even more small and helpless in this setting. She had remembered the rescuer being different all these years. She had never remembered a face, only pale skin and dark clothing. She had never remembered the colour of his hair or his eyes, only the length and shape. Perhaps it had been her age or the trauma, but now she could fully remember the very first time she had truly met the prince.

That night had been very difficult for her family. Her mother and father had been in another loud and long fight. Nadia was always louder and more emotional than Thomas and tended to say things that, after the fight was long over, she had never meant to say. Titania had come to realize that whether or not someone still felt the way they did during the fight, there was no such thing as not meaning something you said. That night, she had heard her mother shouting about how caged and oppressed she felt having to be a wife and mother when she needed to shine. Thomas had tried to tell her that he would do what he could to give her more opportunities in the industry, but that being away from himself and Titania for months at a time was out of the question while the girl was so young. Nadia shot back that men in the military did it all the time, to which Thomas replied that Nadia was not a soldier and the need of a child for their mother was far greater than it was for their father. Nadia had then proceeded to shout at the man that she had never wanted a large family to begin with and that having a child was his idea.

Titania had heard this from her room and immediately raced towards the stairs and out of their town house. She had heard enough of these arguments to know that they would not end until Nadia was given what she wanted. What she wanted right now, and apparently for the rest of her life, was to be free of the girl. Titania had headed blindly into the rainy night, not stopped or really seen by anyone on the streets. She wept madly until tripping on a slick patch of pavement and tumbling into the open manhole. Luckily, the enormous troll had been standing directly under, waiting patiently for the prince's return. He had caught her firmly in his good hand and stared down at her in confusion. Titania remembered the shrieking and being dropped, then waiting with her head throbbing until the prince had retrieved her.

"I'll get you back, then," he said softly, staring at her with the same flicker of nostalgia that she had for the moment. The flicker left his eyes, signaling to Titania that either she had imagined it, or that the prince was no longer sharing the memory. She shook her head and glanced up at the small section of sky that showed through the manhole. Nuada sighed heavily and reached for the ladder that he rarely used to exit, still holding the girl firmly in one arm. "Stay here, Mr. Wink," he ordered as he began to climb. "And if any other humans fall through, kill them."

Titania froze and stared at the prince in shock. He had gone back to the form that he had portrayed for years, cruel. His eyes had a faint hue of dull brown behind the amber at the moment. She wondered if being so distant from the forest had caused this. He glanced around at the almost empty street, willing an aura of invisibility to cover himself and the girl as he headed for an alleyway. Titania grunted and looked past him into the darkness. She whimpered softly and buried her head in his shoulder. He smiled. "At least their young have natural fear," he mused. Titania's whimpering slowly began to grow into crying. The elf frowned and shifted his arm, jostling her slightly. "Stop that. Where are you from? Which direction?"

Titania breathed deeply, pulling away from him enough to point towards the park. In truth, the girl couldn't remember where she lived in relation to her current position; not only because she hadn't seen where she was running, but because she rarely left the town house for anything other than lessons brief outings to the theatre, museums, or the park. Her father had taken her to climb the trees and play on the grass many times. Titania knew that if the prince could get her back to the green of the city's last natural breath, then she would be found. He would, no doubt, by this time have heard the door having shut and would have noticed her being missing. Thomas had been attentive then, such a doting parent once upon a time. The elf frowned.

"No humans live there, that is for their ridiculous games and rituals. _**Where are you from**_?" he said, speaking the last few words more loudly and slowly. She moaned, shivering in the cold as she laid her head against his chest once again. She closed her eyes, hearing a strong heartbeat behind the leather breastplate and layer of royal garment. He growled and pulled her away, holding her in front of him with a stern look of reproach. "No, no, this neither the time nor the place for you to fall asleep. Tell me where you are from, now, child."

"I want my daddy," she said softly as she glanced back towards the park yet again.

"Oh, for Aiglin's sake," the prince muttered. This was not something he had ever thought of doing, trying to return a human child. They were even less intelligent than the adults and far less manageable. He sighed and glanced around the alley once more. Titania watched him with greater interest than she had in her childhood. It was wonderful to relive such a memory. She reached out one small hand as he continued glancing around for a human adult to set her down in front of so that he could leave. She grasped a lock of his hair gently and began to examine it carefully. White at its very top, near his crown, but quite gold as it came to rest below his shoulders. It was beautiful. Feeling the girl's faint grasp, he turned to face her once again. She was lost in thought as she ran her tiny fingers over the silken strands. She seemed innocent at the moment, not a shred of hatred or a hint of human corruption to her whatsoever. She gazed into his eyes once more, the verdant gleam striking a tender portion of the elf's heart. He frowned and shifted the girl once again, setting her on his hip and staring back down at her. "I suppose your kind are not really dangerous until they're a little older." He leaned his face closer to hers, speaking as gently as any human talking to a small child. He smiled slightly "You couldn't pose a threat to anything, could you, little one?"

Titania froze, her expression changing to shock before she sneezed loudly. The elf jumped in surprise as the girl shook her head and looked back up at him, still shocked. She shuddered and rubbed her eyes once again, groaning in the onset of a cold. Nuada watched her for a few moments, fascinated at the girl's movements and expressions. She was . . . lovely. She froze and sneezed loudly once again, looking up at the elf in what could have been horror. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He laughed, completely amused at the girl's presence for the moment. She was nothing like the overbearing monsters that made up the rest of her race. It seemed odd to the prince to think that all humans began life this way and ended life as the heartless oafs that threatened his world. If he waged war against humanity, then it was likely that there would be many children like this one slain by the Golden Army. It almost made him saddened to think at taking lives like hers. He touched the side of her head, softly grazing the blood-stained skin where she had been wounded when falling onto Wink. She breathed deeply and placed her hand over his, staring at him in sheer amazement. She had seen him before, why hadn't she remembered this? The prince smiled more broadly, sensing he had come across a rare pleasure, a creature whose intentions were completely pure. He softly traced the round shape of her ear with the fingers of one hand. Titania giggled and looked away.

"And what is your name?" he asked kindly.

"Titania!" a man's voice called from several yards away. The two froze at the sound. "Titania? Titania!"

The girl turned her head towards the sound and remained still. "Daddy," she whispered. Nuada carefully set the girl on the ground and stepped away. "Daddy!" she called more loudly.

Thomas ran frantically around the corner, following the path that he and his daughter usually took on their infrequent walks. He glanced carefully in every direction, clutching a recent photograph of the girl and a second rain coat as he continued to hurry along the street. "Titania?!" he called with a stream of tears beginning to flow.

"Daddy!" the girl's voice cried from a short distance away. Thomas whirled around and felt the air for the sound once more. He was sure he had heard her and could sense the direction if he could calm his heartbeat long enough to hear it once more. "Daddy!"

At the second cry, Thomas took off running, breathing heavily as he moved towards the girl's voice. "Titania!" Thomas cried loudly as he came upon the entrance to the alleyway. Titania ran towards him, her arms outstretched and waiting for her father's embrace. The doctor immediately scooped the girl into his arms, wrapping the coat around her and crying loudly. "Oh, my baby, I was so scared. Come on, you're gonna get sick if you stay out here. I was so scared . . ."

Titania glanced over her shoulder towards the alley a final time as her father carried her back down the street. Her eyes caught the figure of the elf stepping into the light and watching the two hurry away. A glint of jealousy and longing filled the worn, amber glow. A loving father and daughter, his own father and sister, he had abandoned everything in the name of this war against mankind. _It is to defend them, to preserve the earth for them so that we do not fade into nothing_, he hissed to himself firmly. He could not lose focus now. Still, the thought of destroying hordes of human children made him ill. That was the benefit of the army, though, he did not have to witness the carnage itself. Then again, maybe enough of their kind could be spared, having learned from the war. The young hadn't committed the same evils, after all. He stalked away from the alley, thinking about the girl's enormous green eyes and tiny features. _Goodbye, Titania_, he thought. _Perhaps you will not be as grotesquely dominant as those who have come before you, little one_.

As the dream ended, Titania felt her heat beginning to race. His eyes, his hair, and his strength; she remembered them all so clearly now. What had kept this from her? She smiled and looked out the window. The sun had not begun to rise. There were only two days left until the eclipse, and only one night. It would not be long before the prince reclaimed the throne and went to rule the magical realm. She frowned and laid her head back against the pillow. It would not be long before these memories were all she had of him.

--------------------------

Oberon stood proudly watching a horde of goblins dragging an enormous object into the vast underground chamber used once by the sisterhood to cast spells. Since the great rift, the female spirits of nature had gone to live on the surface once more. The otherworld was quite divided, and all beings had only their king to blame. _Balor should have killed me when had the chance_, the faerie smirked as his golem sentinels whipped at the goblins furiously. The pitiful creatures hauled the object with twelve large woven ropes until it lay on the very top of a central platform. Oberon breathed deeply and smiled as he heard a familiar creaking behind him. He currently stood on a ledge overlooking the chamber which was an extension of a back hallway leading out of the throne room. He narrowed his eyes and turned to watch a pathetic being move closer to him.

"You have what you want. Please, let what's left of my family go free," the master blacksmith begged from his permanent cart.

Oberon sneered at him and turned to face the sight of the platform. He raised one hand and snapped his fingers. The sentinels pulled the covering free of the object, revealing a titanic iron cauldron. On it's surface were etched curses, spells, warnings, and drawings of specific faces twisted in horror. Each mark warned sensible creatures of a fate far worse than death for every being on the planet, but to creatures like Oberon, it sang melodically of an odious dance filled with writhing victims and rotting corpses. He sighed heavily with sheer satisfaction and waved one hand dismissively towards the sentinels. The earthen creatures reached for their weapons. Each raised a large, steel cleaver stained with the blood of innocents from centuries past. They began immediately slashing into the goblin slaves, hacking the screaming beasts to pieces as the master watched. He gasped and moved to the edge, stretching out both arms in vain as he wept. "My family!"

"They served their purpose, goblin," Oberon said as he began walking back towards his throne room.

"You promised if we retrieved it you would set the rest of them free!" the master protested angrily as he did his best to hurry after the false king. "How could you!?"

"If I am to establish myself among the last living goblins across the sea, I must make a mark more cruel than their current lord and master," the faerie explained casually. He strode up to his throne, hearing the smithee grunt as he met with the base of the stairs. He reached towards his belt and grasped a small pouch of gems. "Here, take this in return for your services."

The smith watched as the pouch landed a few inches away from him. He growled. "I want my family!" the goblin replied angrily as he threw the pouch back towards the throne. He growled and breathed heavily, trembling with sadness and rage. There were very few other goblins left in Europe at all, the rest had gone to serve Prince Nuada across the sea. The smith scooted as far as he dared, able to pull himself up onto one stair. "I should have sent all of them over there! Prince Nuada would never have dealt so treacherously with anyone!"

Oberon laughed coldly and began descending the stairs, stopping one step out of the smith's reach. "Do you really wish to continue to swear loyalty to an elf?" the faerie sneered. The goblin pointed a finger firmly at the king.

"Mark my words, Oberon, The Cauldron of the Deathless Few can only be awakened by one of the Gael's line and used by a demon. There will be nothing you can do with it short of drowning in your own lies!" the goblin hissed. "When the prince returns from Bethmoora for you . . ."

"_**That little worm will die in Bethmoora**_!" Oberon shouted, swinging the back of his hand harshly at the goblin's head. The goblin flew across the floor several feet, landing uncomfortably on one side and holding his face as he stared back at the seething king. Oberon straightened himself and watched as a hound began to enter the chamber, cowering and whimpering as it moved. The king smiled. "That is, of course, if he is not dead already. Servant of Seth, what news of your master? Has he sent you to tell me that he will be arriving shortly with Nuada's remains?"

"Seth is dead!" the hound suddenly wept as it tilted its head towards the ceiling. Oberon's eyes flashed red with hatred as the beast began cowering yet again. At the howl of the hound, the other members of the council, who had been summoned to view the cauldron, entered the room and gazed in shock at the creature. "Prince Nuada summoned a monster to slay him! The prince's servants are bizarre and powerful! He is too great! We are doomed!"

"Silence!" Oberon shouted angrily, hurling a dagger towards the hound. The blade landed in deeply in its thigh. The creature writhed and yelped painfully as Oberon stalked to the centre of the throne room and screamed. "How can this be?! He is weak! I know he must be! He is only just reborn and hardly fit to face my forces!"

"Perhaps the prince grew beyond your reckoning, Oberon," the smooth voice of Jareth said. The goblin smith turned and watched as the lord of his race entered the room. Jareth walked towards him and carefully helped him back to his rollers. "I believe you owe me blood, Oberon," he commented without turning to the dark king. Oberon snarled as Jareth turned his own golden eyes to face him.

"They were only twenty-five smiths, nothing terribly important," Oberon replied. "Easily replaced."

"You made us an oath, Oberon," Jareth continued. "Our forces would not be expended, only extended. You swore to us that loyalty to you meant victory without loss."

"That is a conflict, Jareth, there is no victory without loss," the faerie replied hotly. "Just as there is nothing important about a lower class of beings." Jareth frowned at him as he strode towards Aradia. Aradia was a fierce faerie warrior with wings like a dragon's and eyes like a wolf's. Her face was as pale as an elf with hair as black as tar and thin limbs that made her appear almost skeletal beneath the armour. She smiled, the jagged edges of her pointed teeth glistening in the dull light. "Prince Nuada is distracted, the spell gives me glimpses of his heart. He will be easily dispatched tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?" Grindel said in confusion. "The eclipse? Will he not have more power under the strange moon?"

"He will not be able to wield it," the king replied as he withdrew a small orb from his robes and handed it to Aradia. "Take this with you, my sweet. It will give you command over all magical beings, save for the faeries themselves. Use it well."

"Your wish is my desire, my master," she replied with a low bow. In a flash, she twirled, sweeping her black wings around her and dove towards the exit.

"Nuada will fall by my hand," Oberon growled, walking back towards the throne. He glanced over at the hound and smirked. "As for the demon, Nuada has shown him to me. And as for the Gael's heir," he turned back to Jareth and the smith with a nasty smile. "She is with the elf as we speak."

--------------------------

Wink came to in a dark room. His limbs were restrained by thick bindings; leather, he realized, but with something to make it stronger. Time had slipped the troll's mind for the time being and he was not sure how long it had been since he had fallen. Did the demon want to kill his master? He had seen the blue creature, weeks before, heading off with the girl-prince. The girl-prince was dear to Nuada and Wink had been ordered to find her, bring her to her brother, and keep her safe as well. He groaned as the effect of the sedative drifted away, his vision becoming clear in the darkness. Where was he? He couldn't readily make out any familiar scents. There were strange and potent scents all around that made the troll afraid for his life. He growled loudly and began struggling against the bonds that held him. A second later, light filled the room, blinding the troll's one eye momentarily. He grunted and shook his head as he heard a door open and voices speaking.

"I don't care what they've said, I do not agree to this!" one voice said sternly. It was the blue creature's, he recognized it. "Please, darling, be reasonable! Think about this, he has served your brother!"

"Yes, he served my brother and protected him," a second voice replied. The girl-prince! Wink struggled to try and locate them, turning his head from side to side as blurred white and grey images in the room clouded his vision. Finally, he felt a hand come to rest gently on his shoulder and he could make out the form of the girl-prince's hair and face. "He saved his life repeatedly . . . and mine."

"But Nuala," Abe continued frantically. The team had agreed, after serious cajoling (and a small measure of magic) from the princess, to allow the elf the opportunity to speak with the troll and discover her brother's whereabouts.

"Enough, Abraham," the princess said sternly as she stroked the troll's arm affectionately. "He will not harm me."

"_Where is the prince? Are you hurt? Have they captured you, too?_" Wink asked in the troll-tongue. Nuala frowned and looked back towards her husband. Wink tried to sit up more furiously. There had been terrible wounds left on the creature from the market blades that were beginning to bleed once again. The team had been incredibly surprised that the troll had survived, so had Wink himself. The blades had torn his flesh and armour horribly, but had not destroyed his skull and vitals. He had been able to tumble past the flames into a depositorium where he rested and healed, living off the rubbish and vows to destroy the demon. He had thought about how Nuada was fairing regularly. The prince would not have left him without a good reason; he must have either been captured or sent into hiding. Nevertheless, Wink needed to find him again. His friend had always done a grand job of getting himself into tight situations that required the aide of another. "_Is he hurt? Where is he?_"

"I do not think he has seen my brother," Nuala said softly. "He is not here, perhaps not close by at all."

"How can that be?" Abe said in shock. "You were reborn in Central Park, wouldn't he . . ."

"I was born close to my purpose because it had been realized," Nuala interjected. She placed a hand over her lips as she gasped in another realization. "He would have been reborn near home." She turned to face Abraham and smiled brightly. "He must be near the Giant's Causeway, or anywhere else on the island. He will be near the old lands. Newgrange! Perhaps he has returned to the great palace beneath Newgrange!"

"There hasn't been any activity reported in Ireland for years," Abe said. Nuala shook her head and patted Wink gently.

"Send for information, he must be near the place where we fell," Nuala continued. "He will be relatively easy to locate now, weaker since rebirth."

"_**Rebirth?!**_" Wink roared. Nuala frowned at the troll and moved away. "_Dead!? My little prince was dead!?_"

"Let us hurry," Nuala whispered as she grasped her husband's hand and moved towards the door. "He will not wait idly for long."

Wink wailed loudly as the door closed behind the two and the room grew dark again. He had to get free and return to the prince at any cost. He knew something bad would happen to the elf in his absence. As strong and capable as Nuada was, he was also easily distracted.


	24. Another Errand

((((Sorry to make this chapter so short and rather uneventful, the next sees a significant change for both the Prince and Titania. I have been ill recently, but have recovered. I suggest to everyone, no matter where you live, that you educate yourself about the current threat of Swine Flu and practice universal health precautions with hygiene. I did not have this illness, but I worry about the spread here in the US and abroad. Please visit the websites for the World Health Organization and the Centre For Disease Control and Prevention to learn more about this illness and its transmission. Thank you all and be safe.))))

**Chapter24**

Nuada smiled brightly as sleep drifted away from him. He glanced out the window, sitting up quickly. Titania would be awakening soon. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes to gather his strength. "Titania," he whispered with a broad grin. "It will not be long, my sweet Titania."

"Sire!" Puck shouted angrily. The prince turned as the rabbit leapt up onto the bed. He raised himself on his haunches, placing his paws firmly on his hips as his ears lay flat against his head. "For shame! You should be thinking of reclaiming the crown and freeing the realm! How can you stand there starry-eyed and sighing for a human child!?" Nuada growled at the pwca as he shook his furry head. "Shame, Nuada, shame! It's . . . it's perverse to think of you with her!"

"She is not a _human_ and she is not a _**child**_!" the prince roared. He loomed over the pwca, trying to flex every ounce of intimidation he could over the creature. "How can you say such things, Puck? You are my friend and you know my intentions are nothing but noble; I love her. I will defend her spirit and form until she mercifully moves on to be reborn."

"You are deluded," the pwca muttered as he hopped off the bed. He glanced over his shoulder, frowning. "Hopeless, absolutely hopeless."

"Good morning, then," the prince shouted after him. "Silly thing."

Puck continued muttering to himself as he hopped down the ladder and then to the door. Nuada finished dressing in the darker garments from the Clionatha. She had given him the black clothing trimmed with red for battle, the cream coloured robes of royalty trimmed with crimson for court gatherings, and a set of pale blue robes trimmed with green for more casual occasions. Nuada had rarely worn anything but black and red (when clothed) since his exile. He had repeatedly commissioned warrior garb and attire for petitioning the king for an army since being beneath the Troll Market. He tied the bright red sash around his waist, displaying the royal seal. He glanced back at the other robes on the chair in the corner of the room. He held out one arm and then the other before looking out the window again. It was too bright for dark clothing. The sky was covered in clouds, but did not glow gray and sickly. The sky seemed to sport a pearl sheen today. He thought for a moment and strode over to the chair. It had been so long since he had worn blue, his favourite colour. Perhaps it was alright to leave the warrior in the dwelling for a short time.

He had cautiously practiced sensing any movement and the presence of magic for a good portion of the night between dreams. The forest here was brimming with thick threads of magic flowing through the air like veins of power. He quickly shed the dark cloth and began slipping on the blues and greens with a grin. The cloth was incredibly flattering and fitting for not only the day. He pulled a golden sash around his waist and softly stroked the royal crest with affection. Nuala would be home soon, she would be overjoyed to see her brother at the throne with the crown of the fey and wearing garments not meant for the shedding of blood or the wielding of a blade. He examined himself once more, admiring the glow of the sky tone against his pale complexion. Much better. He slid down the ladder quickly and headed for the stairs. Titania would be in the forest by mid-afternoon. Puck watched the prince from a distance and headed off to the mansion. He had to speak with Misses Badcrumble and devise a way to stop this travesty before it reached its climax.

Nuada watched the pwca dart off into the distance and shook his head. "Be back soon, my friend," he called after him. "I cannot protect you at a great distance."

"Hmph," Puck grumbled as he sped through the forest. "Protect indeed."

Nuada glanced around the forest, taking in the sights and sounds of early morning as he had never done. The small creatures were awake and beginning to gather food and head for water. A few stood at the edge of their homes, chattering loudly to one another about some occurrence as they cleaned their dens and nests. He breathed deeply, inhaling the life and the magic of these woods. This was what it meant to be one of the fairy folk, to see, hear, and understand things of the earth with a gleam of wisdom not afforded to any other race. He walked calmly through the trees, nodding to the small animals and greeting the birds. He would be expected to follow a more strict set of protocol once within the Fairy Ring; what better way to practice than on lower creatures here? He walked past the oak where he had spoken with the squirrels. "Good morning, Blinky. Good morning, Whimpole," he said pleasantly. Whimpole popped his head through the hole at the middle of the tree and sneered.

"_Sod off, you_," the squirrel said with a angry twitch of his tail.

Nuada ignored this and continued towards a smaller clearing where a warren was buzzing with excitement. Winter was nearing and the young ones were being taught how to preserve grasses, roots, and other greens during the frosts. He waited at the edge of the clearing, watching the rabbits scurrying and whispering to one another. Puck might have taken up residence here every now and again, but would have found himself far too outspoken to be comfortable. The creatures halted in unison, their ears pricking upward in recognition of another being nearby. Nuada nodded to them and extended one hand dismissively. "Carry on, my friends," he said gracefully.

The rabbits turned and stared at one another in confusion. The eldest shrugged its shoulders and continued to preach to the young kittens. The prince sauntered past a good portion of the forest, passing several creatures that reacted in the same manner; confused and then cautious. This did not surprise the elf. Magical beings had not lived in large numbers on the surface for years here. The undergrounds were full of fair-folk, but even the lower creatures well attuned to their ways were becoming as jaded as humans. That would need to come to an end under his rule. Why should his people hide beneath the earth when the sunlight clearly did marvelous things for the living? He sighed and watched a large buck escorting a doe and a fawn towards the stream. Nuada gave a slight bow to the buck, signaling his respect. Deer, specifically stags, had the markings of the first kings and the great creator. The buck snorted once, standing still as the doe and fawn moved past and disappeared. The male would be very cautious for his family. The elf smiled and continued to wander, changing direction to head for the stream himself.

He greeted each of the birds regally with a warmth that reflected the sun glowing brightly in his heart. Things had changed in the forest; the steely focus that had imprisoned him in exile had melted away among the trees, swept by the breezes, and filled with other thoughts beneath the sun and stars. He had nearly forgotten entirely about the realms from his childhood. He had been brought across the sea when young, but had still known the comfort of home into adolescence. What had driven Balor away from this paradise? _Mother_, he thought, _he could not live in the finery of the old lands without her_. Still, it had surely made a terrible impact on the creatures left behind. His father had been incredibly selfish and impassive when he should have been strong.

"Good morning, your highness," a bright voice said from behind him. Nuada turned, the sight of a large white mare greeting him. He nodded towards her and smiled back. "My mistress bid me see about your progress. We are all anxious for your return."

"Of course," he said. This was a pwca of a different sort, a servant of the Epona. These faeries were more accustomed to freedom and the open world watching humanity than interactions. The rabbit spirits differed in that regard, being so close to the mother goddess. "Tell her I wish to know names and rank of all who still serve in the court. I grow stronger every day, closer to our people."

The horse whinnied happily and pawed with one hoof excitedly. "Wonderful, my prince!" she exclaimed. "I will tell her at once and bring back her reply."

"Bring back a companion with you, one accustomed to a rider," he instructed. An idea having come to the prince's mind at seeing the pwca. "Be quick. The eclipse draws closer as we speak."

"Yes, your majesty," she replied quickly. The mare turned and hurried off into the forest. The Epona's servants did not regularly find themselves among the trees, but they appeared more magical than any of the other creatures when they did. In the past, they had been mistaken for the rare race of unicorns. There were still unicorns beneath the earth, he had heard of their preservation even in exile. He walked to the stream's edge, admiring the beauty of the forest as he thought about the changes he would make as ruler of these realms. He knew that he would have much work ahead of him in resurrecting the forests, but he knew that the earth would welcome the change. He turned as he heard the soft footsteps of a creature walking towards him. The stag that he had seen was approaching, its head held proudly as it displayed its enormous antlers for the prince to admire as well. The elf stepped backwards and nodded to the beast as it came to stand a few feet away from him.

"Who are you, sir?" the stag asked, its enormous eyes glistening in the early morning sun.

"I am Prince Nuada Silverlance, the son of King Balor," the elf said with a deep bow and one arm folded across his chest. The stag smiled. He had wanted to hear firsthand the fact that the elves had returned. News had spread through his forest that the elves had returned and a protector had been sent to Bethmoora. The stag, like all of his predecessors, was the initial protector and lord of the wood. Now, the great lords of nature were returning. The stag bowed its head reverently and reached one hoof forward, displaying the first acknowledgement to the prince's birthright the elf had seen among the forest creatures. "And who has protected this forest in my family's absence?"

"My clan, sire. I am Donovan, son of Ciarn, the son of Vorhil," the stag replied proudly. Nuada breathed deeply, waiting for the explanation of heritage to cease. The stag, being respectful of the prince's time, bowed his head all the lower before rising. "The clan of Scatterhorne is still in the service of The Sons of The Earth, your highness. Should you require sustenance beyond what has been otherwise provided, I offer you my own flesh and bone."

"That will not be necessary," the prince said, almost nauseated at the thought of eating a creature with such a large heart. To the elves, it made no sense to eat a creature whose heart was as filled with blood as their own (that being every creature in existence save for fish). "I would ask that you inform me at once if man enters this forest. Any humans that trek in or near the forest will be reported to me at once, is that clear?"

"Yes, your majesty," the stag replied. He turned to glance behind him. "I must return to my mate, sire. I bid you good day."

"Good day, Donovan son of Ciarn," the prince said with a dismissive wave. The stag snorted loudly and bounded away, shouting happily for his wife and child. It was giving the other creatures as much joy as the prince that a protector and ancient and guide had been sent to their forest. Nuada smiled brightly and began to disrobe once again. The stream looked very inviting and the fish looked much larger. This was how he had been meant to live; grand protector of the forests, living off the fruits of nature while waiting to slay any humans that trespassed into the wood. "Well, now; I believe the Faerie Ring will be but one of many realms to reside in."

---------------------------------------

Titania awoke after several more dreams, dressing quickly as she poured over hundreds of thoughts about the prince, the map, the eclipse, and the forest being without the elf once more. She felt a heaviness at thinking of never seeing Nuada again. Even the thought of seeing him infrequently made her sad. Why? What special bond could she possibly have formed with him in so short a time, especially if that time had been mostly him trying to be rid of her? She pulled on her clothes anxiously, wondering what kind of adventure she might have before the prince left. There were bound to be more assassins, creatures more cruel and efficient than the last few they had faced. She would need to be more alert, more ready to jump in and assist if he was in danger. She hurried down the stairs, finishing breakfast quickly as Nadia watched. Nadia smiled, marveling at how Titania had grown. She would be a mess of nerves soon, this love would end and her emotions would inevitably erupt, sparking a roller coaster of hormones, happiness, and hatred that would continue well into the girl's college years.

"Darling, I'm going to be visiting with a few business men today," she announced as Titania downed a cup of tea. "You're going to be in the forest with that boy, aren't you dear?"

"Yeah, mom," she replied with a smile. Misses Badcrumble watched from a distance, scowling and shaking her head disapprovingly. The girl frowned in return and sighed. "I'll stay out of your way, don't worry."

"You could join us for tea, dear, if you two aren't busy," the woman replied with a wink. Misses Badcrumble gasped and shrieked softly in horror. Titania and Nadia glanced at her momentarily as she hurried back into the kitchen. Neither the woman nor the girl noticed as a small creature darted in through the nearby open window and headed for the kitchen. Titania was not accustomed to being so unattentive in her surroundings, but like the prince, she had numerous distractions facing her at the moment. Puck raced into the kitchen and panted heavily as Nadia and Titania finished their breakfast and conversation. "Whatever you decide, my dear, I know you will enjoy yourself. Be careful, darling; I remember what it was like to be enchanted by new love. He may not have the same view as you do on circumstances, be firm with him and do not let him weasel his way into getting you both into trouble."

"I know, mom," Titania replied. "And he's not like any other guy; I guarantee it."

"Well, I need to get some paperwork together, dear. I'm very excited; I have an idea about the forest to share with someone this afternoon," she said as she scooted away from the table and hurried out of the room.

That phrase caught Titania off guard. The girl stood and tried to get her mother's attention to ask what she had meant. The woman had left the room quickly. Titania didn't feel like following after and asking questions when she knew that there would be limited time with the prince and plenty of time to ask her mother for an explanation. She grumbled softly and headed for the door. She would simply do as her mother had suggested and drop by the mansion again at tea. Convincing Nuada to stay away while there were other humans, strangers at the mansion, for a few moments would be an adventure in and of itself for the day.

----------------------------------

In the kitchen, Puck relayed every worry and event that he had witnessed to Misses Badcrumble. The cook stood over a small pot and began pouring the contents onto a piece of cooking parchment as the pwca wailed pitifully. She took out her spoon and spread a dark, thick layer of cacao onto the parchment.

"Oh, Agatha, I fear the worst! What if he opts to take her with him! It would not be the first time an elf has swept a human into their world, but it all ends in the same tragedy!" Puck exclaimed with both hands on his head. "What do we do? We must do something, now! Oh, poor Nuada, so certain of things and so set on them."

"Poor Nuada?!" Misses Badcrumble roared. Puck cowered backwards as the troll held the spoon out towards him. "That daft little whelp doesn't deserve pity! He knows better than everything he's done over the years! I had hoped he would shape up soon, but I think it will take more than being in the forest to shake him back to what he should be. It will take a good slap in the face . . . literally."

"But how . . . what good will that do?" Puck argued as he stared at the cook in confusion. "Nuada needs to forget his obsession with Titania and focus on his people. How will a beating from you do that?"

"Who said anything about me?" the troll replied as she began placing the cooled cacao in a cloth. She folded it quickly and handed it to the rabbit who stared back in confusion. "Take it, and make sure he gets a good amount before they are off together."

"But, Agatha, this is . . ." he stared down at it, sniffing deeply. "It will make him . . ."

"I am well aware," the cook replied. He shifted uncomfortably, his ears lying flat against his head. "It's for the good of us all, Puck. He must be forced away from her, by her. Do you understand?" Puck hesitated, glancing towards the door. He nodded slowly. "Good, off with you, now."

Puck groaned, slinking out of the room and quickly out of the mansion. _Why me_, he thought. _Why am I always the one in the middle of all this? I shall have to report to Oberon tomorrow, oh dear, and then this! I hope the royal family's need for me is short lived after all of these errands_. The rabbit bounded into the forest, feeling a little more than uneasy about having to deliver such a weapon to the two. The cacao would remove the prince's inhibitions making him all the more dangerous around Titania. The girl could handle fighting off a murderer set on spilling her blood, this the rabbit had no fear of her facing. It was the idea of the sweet girl being made to defend herself against the advances of an amorous elf prince that worried him. This would not be a pleasant afternoon.


	25. Unwelcomed and Unexplained

(((Argh! Still not as long as I'd hoped or as much action, but I write what comes to me. Maybe after a good night's sleep and the exams for this week being over, you guys will have something truly amazing to read. I already know how it ends, after all, and one of the more incredible scenes in my head is around the corner. In answer to a question posed in a review I offer another question; how far would _you_ let him go if you were Titania? Think about it logically, not with lust. By the by, I imagine that cacao would indeed be a powerful aphrodesiac for these creatures. In naturalists and vegetarians like msyelf, dark chocolate has a very powerful effect, almost intoxicating. Then again, so does caffiene, and no one wants to see Nuada hopped up on caffiene. Continue to be safe, everyone!))))

**Chapter 25**

Nuada had finished fishing and had caught a rather large perch long before Puck had returned. As Nuada knelt and dressed it on the same rock as before, he harkened back to the day Titania had returned to the forest after assisting him. She had watched him silently from a distance while he had paraded quite deliberately, barely clothed in front of her. It almost made him ashamed to think he had been so exposed in front of an elf-maiden under such an enchantment. He breathed deeply and consumed the catch slowly, pondering about what life would be like among his own kind again. It had been centuries since he had been among other elves and more friendly faeries for very long. Trolls, goblins, ogres, and more sinister faeries had been his closest companions. He had only truly known Wink by name. He wondered what the other creatures expected of him in appearance and duty. It wasn't terribly important, of course. He was royalty and whether they were impressed or not he had the right to assume the throne.

After finishing with the fish and clothing once again, the prince headed back towards the tree-house. Puck would be back soon and the prince had a proposition for his friend. It had occurred to him that he would need an advisor upon arriving. His father had many wise creatures in his service aside from his consul, Oberon, and it had done well for the court. Once Oberon had been discovered, the king had relied on no one advisor in particular. Puck would make a splendid advisor to some degree or another. After all, it had been the pwca that had greeted him and escorted him through the forest safely as well as run errands when told to do so. All in all, the pwca had been a good friend and clever subject. The rabbit had been a little unreasonable from time to time, but that had only been in regard to Titania. The prince understood why the pwca felt so protective of her, she was something to behold and kind as well. She had even given Puck a human name; Lewis. Where she had derived such a title was a mystery, but the it was amusing.

"Good morning, your highness," a voice called from overhead. Nuada looked up at the sight of a large robin. It smiled and nodded its head.

"Good morning," the prince replied; a little confused that the creature had recognized him after not seeing any acknowledgement in any of the creatures that morning save for the stag, Donovan.

"Good day, your highness," another, more smooth voice said from the ground. Nuada glanced down as he caught sight of a passing badger. It bowed its head politely at the shoulders and continued on its way. The prince smiled more brightly.

"Good day," he replied and began climbing the ladder. This was marvelous. If the forest animals were willing to be so welcoming, then the ancient beings in the Faerie Ring would be more so. The pwca bounded back, skidding to a halt at the base of the stairs and colliding with the first wooden step. He groaned and grasped his head painfully. Nuada raced back down the stairs towards him. "Puck!" he cried as he reached for his fallen companion. The rabbit groaned more loudly as the prince took his head in both hands and stared into his face. "Are you hurt? Speak to me!"

"Oh, sire, my head," he groaned as he began shaking himself. The elf frowned and helped him up the stairs, wondering what could have made the creature so suddenly careless. He must have been distracted by something. "I do apologize for my display this morning, sire. You are not a child and I am not an authority on anything." Puck hoped that by having this humbled attitude, the prince would not at all suspect that he had been betrayed when this was all over. Nuada frowned, seeing the creature so incredibly humble despite years of experience and service.

"You are right, my friend, my heart should stay with my people until all is restored," the prince soothed as they walked into the dwelling. Puck reeled for a moment, lying down on the floor unceremoniously. Nuada knelt next to him, still wincing at the goose-egg forming on the rabbit's head. "Titania is my charge, not to be enjoyed as a charm."

"Oh, but, sire," Puck began to stammer as he tried to regain his composure and sit upright. He sighed heavily. How could he give the prince permission to be a heel? Misses Badcrumble knew all too well that cacao in any form acted as a powerful aphrodisiac to elves and other magical beings in general. Once in his blood, the dark sweetness would burn an insatiable fire of lust within the prince for the girl. It acted as powerfully as any love potion or spell of madness. He cared for the child, he did not at all want this to end with Titania hurt in any way. Agatha theorized that Titania would be able to not only hold her own, but would have the upper hand in a tiff with the prince once he made a first advance. The old cook really had no idea what she was delving into. Puck had more experience in these matters. He shook his head, trying to think of something, anything to both give the prince permission and still not feel like a butcher sending a sweet yearling to the chopping block. "It does her much good to be with you when you are kind to her. It makes her happy, something that few things other than her presence in the forest have ever done for her from what I understand."

"Truly?" the prince asked with enthusiasm. His affections were beginning to steal the strength of his mind and the fortitude of his senses, but what a trade. He grinned. "I make her happy."

"Yes, sire," the pwca continued anxiously. "And it is something not many other creatures, especially humans, can boast."

"One could hardly expect her to have been happy being squelched by mortals," Nuada continued. He glanced out the window, sniffing. "Something troubles me, I feel a stir in the aura of the forest and its surroundings. Have you felt it?"

"Me? Oh, uh, no sire," the pwca lied as he fished through his pouch for the handkerchief. He withdrew it as Nuada spoke aloud of what he thought the sense of foreboding could mean, namely the presence of man. "That would be awful, sire," Puck agreed thoughtlessly as he stared down at the weapon. _I can't, I simply can't_, one side of his conscience wailed. _You must, you simply must for the sake of everyone_, the other side hissed angrily. He sighed and took a piece in one paw and warmed it into a soft paste before slinking over to the table and hiding it in a piece of bread left from the day before. He gulped and trembled as he took the bread and hobbled back over to the royal standing at the window pensively.

"Yes, I can sense them. They seek to claim this forest as their own, they have sought to have done so for years. In her mind, I saw Titania's fears of it, poor dear," he said still watching the sky apprehensively. "Mark my words, Puck, the first human that enters Bethmoora with a mind to destroy it will die swiftly. I will not see my family's home fall by the same hands that have diminished our numbers and raped our world. We must be vigilant until tomorrow night."

"Indeed, sire," the rabbit said nervously. His ears twitched in unusual fear. Nuada turned, noting the creature's expression and movements. "Here, sire, you need to keep up your strength."

The elf accepted the bread and frowned at the rabbit. "You have felt it, it was what distracted you," the prince commented. He observed his friend for a few moments more before turning back to the window, satisfied that Puck was in no dire need of medicine. "You must be weary, my friend. You should go and rest until the wound on your head is less angered."

"Of course, sire, thank you," the rabbit said sadly. He knelt back to the floor, willing himself to change. He couldn't bear to watch the prince take in the sensual poison or to watch poor Titania reap its iniquity. He felt his heart grow more heavy by the minute as he hopped up the ladder, into the room, and under the bed. "Oh, my poor Titania! My prince!" he sniffed as silently as he could. He folded his paws together as tears began to stream down his face. "Oh, please forgive me!"

The elf shook his head, feeling a tension growing in the air. He had felt the start of it at the stream, but had dismissed it. Seeing Puck's anxiousness accompanied by the unrelenting strain in the atmosphere told the prince that this was not something to be ignored. He had to be on his guard for now. He watched the horizon, keeping his ears tuned to the more subtle sounds as the morning pressed on. Titania would be arriving soon. He smiled and finished the bread Puck had given him. There was an odd flavour to it, but the elf knew better than to question nourishment given by a friend. The sound of hoofbeats in the distance caught the prince's attention. Nuada smiled. The Epona's messengers were on their way to him. A warmth without explanation began to fill him as he thought of the plan he had concocted earlier for the mare. He wanted desperately to show Titania the darker, deeper, hidden regions of this forest. There were more magical beings hidden in the shadows and trees, mainly faeries and breeds of goblin, but all creatures she would find interesting and perhaps spark a bit of her true nature to life. If he was to allow the real her to awaken, then it would need to be soon. He thought of her glistening emerald eyes, the innocence behind them, and the gleam of her imagination sparkling with hundreds of tales. The warmth grew as he thought of her riding beside him, better, in front of him as they bounded through the forest and its meadows within. The thought of her dark tresses kissed with jasmine so near. He had only thought of Titania as being desirable once before, beneath the moonlight. Moonlight paled by comparison to the revelations of the sun. He breathed deeply and leapt from the window, spinning, and catching branches as he swooped to the ground. _This will be a glorious day_, he thought, momentarily forgetting the ominous presence that had somewhat marred the morning.

"Prince Nuada!" a voice called. The prince turned, his ears standing at attention as the tone met them. The voice was not that of a simple forest creature or a servant of the magical realm. It had the melody of a dulcimer plucked in an hour of rejoicing. How had he not been taken entirely captive by it upon meeting her? It would have been disastrous for his people, he reasoned, for him to have been so distracted from the get go. "Nuada?"

"Titania," he said softly, feeling his heart race as the sound of her name escaped him. As he listened to the girl approaching, he could hear the mares simultaneously approaching from the opposite direction. She entered the clearing, catching sight of him and smiling. Her eyes flashed fire into his soul, haloing her true spirit before him in all the glory of the ancient Tuatha Bethmoora and the Sons of Danu. She gasped and took a step backwards as the mares appeared behind the prince and bowed their heads respectfully. He grinned, reaching one hand towards her. "Come, there is much to see before tomorrow night."

"I-I'm not sure about riding," she said with palpable uncertainty. Nuada stepped forward and took her kindly by the hand, suddenly savoring the sensation of her cool, delicate features clasped in his. She stared at him, noticing an almost golden glow behind forming in his eyes. "They don't have saddles or anything, and I think that's cruel anyway, but I don't want to fall off and break something."

The prince turned and quickly asked the second mare for permission to mount and ride with a companion. The mare agreed, amused to see a young girl at the prince's side. Pwca spirits were fond of little girls, elves like Nuada were not. The first offered to ride beside them to give him the update from her mistress that he had requested. He nodded and gently pulled Titania toward the horse, climbing on. The girl watched in shock as he reached down and drew her up in front of him in one move. She breathed deeply, allowing her body, mind, and heart to adjust to the sudden change. "You will not fall, I promise," he said softly. Titania froze, sensing something unusually tender in the prince's voice. He leaned forward and gently nudged the mare's side. The pwca moved forward slowly as the prince and his companion rode silently.

Titania felt the urge to climb off and walk home immediately, but that was an irrational fear speaking. She still had something in the back of her mind telling her to be wary of the prince, it was a natural protection against the opposite sex and their strengths. The prince waited until the pwca had taken them several steps into the forest before softly placing either arm around the girl's waist, cradling her to him as they rode. Titania felt more unsure of this gesture and kept herself very still for a moment as she tried to read his intentions. _What's wrong with you!? A prince, an elf prince is riding into an enchanted forest with you and you're not enjoying it? Live a little_, the id within her commanded. Having been unaccustomed to the voice of the id, Titania relaxed and leaned back against him a fraction. This would at least be educational.

--------------------------------

Liz and Nuala watched the door to the library as it swung open. Abe and Red entered slowly with Krauss not far behind, still going on about something he had heard in Washington after he had reported what they had learned of the prince. None of the team had been happy about the entity's desire to report the situation without any leads on where the elf could be found, but he followed the rules stringently with or without popular consent. Liz stood and breathed deeply. The thought of the prince returning weighed heavily on everyone, but Liz was still remembering the words of the Death-Angel; she would suffer more than anyone. She had felt incredible, unrelenting, unquenchable suffering when Red had been wounded. She couldn't bear the thought of being without him. She would be more prepared this time and ready to strike the elf first, even if it meant doing harm to his sister. She shook her head, not wanting to think about anything shattering the peace they had enjoyed for a few blissful days.

"Is there news of my brother?" Nuala asked hopefully. Abe frowned and moved to her side.

"The prince has not been seen nor heard from in any of the regions in the European areas," he said softly. Nuala frowned and glanced to the side. "But we will find him. If Wink is alive after all of that, then Nuada surely would be."

"Yeah, well, Nuada didn't just go through a grinder. He fell to pieces," Red interjected. He sighed heavily and stared at Nuala with uncertainty in his own yellow eyes. "You're sure he's alive?" Nuala frowned an moved Abraham to her side, pulling her sleeve away from her chest. Abe gasped and moved to cover her as she displayed the quickly healing cut to the demon. Red shook his head and looked away. "Fine, the little twerp is alive. How will we know where to find him? His puppy didn't even know."

"Wink is a troll, not capable of the gifts bestowed on elves and faeries," Nuala corrected. "I will know how to find my brother. All I need is a few hours."

"To do what?" Red asked. Before anyone could answer, the doors behind the group came open once more. The five turned and watched as Manning hurried into the room, looking more flustered and panicked than he had when hearing the prince had returned. "Oh, great. What is it, Manning?"

"Are they all in here?" a man's voice asked from the hallway. Manning turned. He glanced at the team apologetically.

"Yes," he replied panting. "All of them. We can brief the team now."

"Good. I need everyone to start on the new programs as soon as possible. Washington wants results," the voice continued as a man entered the room slowly. He glanced around the room in smug satisfaction, a look of vengeance fulfilled in his dark eyes. The three original agents stared at him in shock. The man's skin had grown pale in the lack of sunlight, but the lack of field work had obviously led to some sort of promotion. This was Timothy Welf, a rival operative who had worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigations in competition with Manning. At one time, Welf had been offered a job at the BPRD, but Red had made it clear that there was something about the man that did not sit well with him. It was Timothy that was responsible for the more controlled aspects of life at the bureau and the man had even tried to have Professor Broom removed after Red had grown to adulthood. The resulting confrontation had revealed a scandal surrounding pharmaceutical experiments that Welf wished to perform. The man had been removed, sent to northern Siberia, and the team had been relieved. The man now stood smirking at the group of misfits. "And they brought me back to get them."

"Welf?!" Red exclaimed.

"Actually, they brought you back here because your obscure relative is a three star general," Manning muttered angrily as Welf strode towards the demon, smiling.

"It's been too long, Red," the man replied smiling. Red stared at him in confusion. "You have no idea what I went through in that set up."

"Hey, no hard feelings, pal," Red laughed proudly. He had been overjoyed to see the man sent to Siberia where a facility had been built to study yetis and the like. "Just trying to get you some hard experience."

"You and your 'father' made my life a miserable living hell and almost ruined my career," the man hissed back. Red took a step away, sensing that something unusually rough had befallen the man on his extended assignment. Welf smirked as five operatives in medical uniforms entered. "I want physicals and blood tests; screen for all toxins and alcohol, we can't have our team using those substances. Let's see, Manning, what happened while there was no one here to supervise; two unauthorized interspecies unions," here he glanced towards Abe and Nuala with caution. Nuala looked away, quite shocked by the harshness of this human toward the team. Leopold began to cry from across the room. Nuala hurried towards him, lifting him from the cradle and comforting him. Welf turned to Manning with a look of sheer excitement in feigned disappointment. "One unauthorized and unidentified creature in the facility, one unauthorized conception and care of an infant of a paranormal being . . ."

"What are you doing?" Red whispered angrily as he moved beside the man. Welf watched Nuala walk hurriedly back to Abe's side. Abe placed his arms protectively around his wife and son. "What's gotten into you?" Welf ignored the demon as he advanced towards the couple. "Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Still ignoring the demon, Welf eyed Nuala more carefully, glancing specifically at Leopold. "We'll need to contain it until it's been cleared by the bureau to be free of disease and/or dangerous abnormalities," Welf replied. He motioned for one of his assistants to take the baby from his parents. Nuala gasped, stepping backwards as Abe moved in front of her. "Its mother as well."

"This is crazy!" Liz cried, suddenly feeling a dread washing over her at the thought of her own growing children. "What gives you the right . . ."

"Haven't you heard?" Welf interjected as he turned to her with a wry smile. She glared back in confusion. "I'm Manning's assistant. I'm here to watch him and all of you now that the world is."

"The world will also recognize their constitutional rights as American citizens," a female voice announced. Yet again, the group turned and watched a familiar figure enter. Jenna Finkelstein, the representative for the team's benefits, walked into the room angrily until standing a few feet from the man with her arms folded. "I already spoke with DC and they have granted Princess Nuala and Abraham Sapien cohabitation status. Not to mention that as long as she and their son are under the capable watch of Dr. Johann Krauss, there will be no need for containment."

"Wow, they really don't want me to have too many freedoms," Welf smirked. Liz suppressed a small flame over her head as Red pulled her closer to him. "I'm just here to help everyone follow the rules, Finkelstein. DC also isn't happy with what's been going on down here. I'm simply making sure that everyone's going to behave."

"Great," Jenna said as she pointed towards the door. "As their representative I'll be glad to discuss any changes with you before you try to implement them."

"You think your father will get them everything they want? These aren't kittens at the pound, they're paranormal creatures," Welf corrected. The team watched him silently. The first question was, of course, why he would return. More importantly, they wondered, why he would be so angry and so intent on coming in and making things difficult in an already strained branch. They glanced at one another in concern. Jenna continued her harsh gaze, unrelenting. "Well, since you can assure me that this is all taken care of, I'll ask you to present me with the paperwork in the morning. I guess I'll see everyone bright and early for our morning update."

"Not a morning person," Red muttered as Welf walked past. The man ignored this, motioning for his entourage to follow. Whatever had happened to the man had made him want to be as intimidating and cold as possible. This was more than the work of snow and ice. Nuala and Abe watched silently as their friends left the room, still trying to figure out why a new assistant had been sent and why on earth it was Welf. The she-elf sighed heavily and patted her child.

"I will need a few hours, Abraham," she said as she handed him their son. Abe nodded to her, clutching their child tightly after the mention of something so cruel. "I will find my brother. Perhaps when he is found and there is something more focused to do, this new man will be less hostile."

"I hope so," Abe replied softly as Nuala headed for their bedroom. Welf had always been strange and had a disturbing lack of concern for paranormal creatures, hence his desire to stduy them with less tenderness shown than one would see given to the average lab rat. Still, what had been going on at headquarters to warrant an agent of less than favourable repute to be brought in to help a situation? Something strange was happening. He frowned and looked down at Leopold who glanced back at his father with a similar apprehension. "I know, I know, we need to be patient."


	26. Where is the Honour?

**Chapter 26**

Titania kept glancing behind her cautiously as they strode through the forest. Nuada sat behind her, half listening to the words of the Epona's servant as she told him of the court. He leaned forward as often as possible, taking in the scent of the girl. Most definitely not human, not riddled with their scent of destruction and metal. Titania felt his breath on the back of her head and continued to turn every time it startled her. This was unusual. While Nuada had been more kind with her since the completion of the second task, he had yet to be sensual. The horse pwca continued to explain to the prince who was at court and their place.

"Of course, Ceridwen is still mistress over the dealings with humans and women in general. The Modron resides over the scholars and Taliesin over the story-tellers and keepers of the books. And now it is Lugh who lords over both the healers and the elf-smiths. Oh! You remember Finn? Yes, he is leader of the elite warriors," the horse continued. Nuada glanced towards the pwca every few minutes, nodding and bidding her to continue as they rode into a part of the forest that Titania did not recognize. He leaned forward and whispered a comment about each listed member of the court to her as they rode, always funny and often a little cruel. Things like 'he was always giving daft advice', 'probably still has a crooked nose', and 'she was never as lovely as she thought she was on good days' would follow each name and position. Titania did her best not to snicker or laugh at each comment, wanting to hear about the Faerie Court as much as any royal, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with each remark. "And Brigit is watching over the four-legged beasts of the meadows and forests, but she appears in the court during the festivals."

"Always with a few strands of moss still in her hair," Nuada said softly so that Titania and Titania alone could hear the remark. She smiled and continued to stare forward. "And always a lamb trailing behind chewing on her skirt." At this, Titania laughed aloud, covering her mouth as the horse spirit turned and looked towards her. Nuada smiled, gently pressing her to him and glancing around the forest. The pwca spirit frowned and stared harshly at the prince. The elf frowned and cleared his throat.

"Perhaps it would be best to learn the names of the courtiers as they are presented to you at your coronation," the pwca offered as she bowed her head. The prince nodded to her, gesturing with a wave that she was dismissed. "Good day, your highness. Send Rhiannon home when she has finished her task, sire."

"Of course," the prince replied.

"Rhiannon?" Titania asked. "That's my middle name."

"Indeed?" the prince asked as he gestured for the pwca they were riding to move further into the forest. "Titania Rhiannon Manning, fetching. You know, in the more barbaric language of the modern Gaels, Rhiannon means 'starlight'."

"Define barbaric," Titania said as they rode more quickly. "All the Celts were seen as barbaric by the Romans and Greeks. The Irish and Scottish descendants had very little different about that, and theirs are the languages that remain from that culture."

"But Erinland was taken," the prince corrected. He frowned. "It was consumed in fire and blood. The other region, the lands to our north, remained untouched. The fairy-folk still tell magnificent tales of the humans that staved off the attacks of the Empire of Indulgence."

"That's a pretty fitting title," the girl remarked. The pwca whinnied and tossed her mane back.

"Are you sure you want me to go further, your highness?" she asked in an uncertain voice. The elf glanced around the edge of the forest, hearing the flow of water from a stream not far. This was closer to the stream's source that lay not far from the tree-house. There was a large meadow nearby as well beyond the thick wall of trees, well hidden from human eyes.

"No, we can walk a few paces," he said as he quickly leapt from the horse. Titania turned and began to slide off, finding her hand taken almost instantly by the prince as he helped her dismount. She stared at him in confusion as he pulled her to his side and nodded to the horse. "I thank you, my friend. My regards to the Epona and gratitude for the information. I will return to the court after tomorrow night."

"Very good, your highness," the pwca said bowing her head. She kicked her front legs into the air. "Let Oberon be put to an end! Long live the Tuatha Bethmoora, Long live Prince Nuada!"

Nuada watched the pwca gallop off into the distance as Titania took in their surroundings. He breathed deeply, willing himself to control his desire to embrace her intimately until they had spent more time together. If he were to take her fully to him right now, she would bolt like frightened filly. He gently kept a grip on her hand and guided them towards the forest's edge. The area around them was very quiet, eerily free of the normal sounds of twittering birds and chirping insects as well as the rustling of leaves and small animals. This part of the forest was well steeped in magical protection. Titania had learned to think of the more silent areas as being still with the need to be free of outside contact. She kept glancing at Nuada in concern as they moved through the dark oak trees almost woven together. This portion of the forest must have held something truly important to have the trees themselves making a boundary.

The trees parted slightly, a soft breeze rushing through them as the prince approached. He nodded to them and drew Titania towards him, gesturing towards her. "This is my friend, Titania. She is not to be feared or denied," he instructed. The oaks groaned and parted more fully, revealing a grand meadow that stretched out like an enormous loch of grass from one end of the oak circle to the other. Titania gasped at the sight. It was like a hidden plane. A brook lay several yards away and wound around the farther end of the meadow. "It is still beautiful." He looked down at Titania with a broad grin as she surveyed the landscape. "And still so full of magic." The elf felt Titania's excitement, now able in his heightened state to read her thoughts and feelings as they pulsed from the surface of her warm, pale skin. He was growing more unable to restrain desire by the minute. His grip on her hand tightened. She turned towards him, feeling a sudden stream of subtle energy flowing from his hand to hers. Without knowing that he was actively enchanting the girl, Nuada's natural inclination to magic was creating a spell to draw her closer. It would have been difficult for the prince had he been in need of concentration, but sheer passion created the spell for the moment and the prince was filled with it.

Titania breathed deeply and felt at ease. She smiled and brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes as she gazed back at the prince haloed by the towering oaks. "You look different today," she said casually. She examined him more carefully as he gazed back in curiosity. "Your eyes are brilliant, almost golden. Are you feeling especially excited about the eclipse?"

"I am not sure what excites me most at the moment," he admitted suggestively as he glanced over her as well. Titania noted this and instinctively shifted her arm over her chest. He gazed back into her eyes, more of his power exerting effortlessly over her mortal limit. "I have not felt enthused any more than before about the event. Perhaps it is an excitement I cannot explain. Something like the magic of my homeland. It is impossible to convey such inner-workings to mortals, after all. None of my kind could ever explain in detail what the exact presence of magic felt like to a human." He turned back to the forest for a moment, suddenly aware of the abnormal feelings within himself. If he was not in control, then it was dangerous to be here and with the girl alone. _No_, he thought, _it is simply my own awakening to her true form. It took long enough_. He smiled and turned back to the girl, releasing her hand as she stood in front of a particularly large tree. "I do not think any have tried in years to even begin to tell a mortal about magic's presence itself."

Titania leaned back against the enormous oak as the prince leaned over her, looking deeply into her eyes as he matched every second green for gold. "You try, then," she said. "Explain to me the best you can what magic is like."

Nuada smiled and moved his face only an inch from hers, her eyes now held captive by his. He reached up with one hand and leaned more comfortably against the tree while using the other to place along the side of her face. She shuddered and continued to stare into his face unblinking.

"It is natural for me, but I believe it could be explained by your natural senses. You see, magic fills my being, all the life within me. It fills my vision more than that which simply plays before my eyes," he said gently placing his thumb near the corner of her eye. "It fills every sound, every moment I can hear, with something more beautiful than birds and music alone," he said as he gently traced the curve of her human ear with the tips of all fingers as he had done when she was a child. Titania shuddered again, breathing heavily as she tried to refrain from showing any powerful feelings for him. He smiled at the weak gesture to hide the truth from him. "It is in the air I breathe, it greets my lips with much more than even the sweetest summer breeze," he said as he traced the underside of her bottom lip with one finger. Titania shifted, trying not to pull away or give in all at the same time. He leaned all the closer, touching their noses together as he spoke. "It surrounds every fiber of my existence, giving knowledge and sensation that no simple touch could ever match," he whispered as he softly stroked the side of her face. She smiled brightly and closed her eyes, letting her forehead meet with his. "Magic is not only an entity, it is in the appreciation of the natural senses that lay sleeping in most creatures. Beyond sound, sight, taste, and touch there are senses so powerful that we once used them to see the future."

"Can you see the future?" Titania whispered, wanting the dark lips of the elf prince to cover her own. She had never wanted something more desperately from another.

He smirked. "I do not want to look any further than the now," he replied as he obliged her silent request with a passionate kiss. Titania froze and felt her mind buzzing rapidly as the kiss deepened. His hands moved to her shoulders and clasped her to him, pressing his chest against her own as he leaned more fully against the tree. "Titania," he whispered as he took a deep breath and parted his lips from hers for a moment. "I desire you."

"You . . ." she stammered, feeling the enchantment confused by the terror filling her heart. Titania was very young and quite innocent. Despite the efforts of a raging media, Titania had merely seen and heard suggestions of the physical unification of a man and woman in torrid passion, but she had yet to desire it for herself. She looked down, unsure of the proper response to this. "I . . . desire you, Prince Nuada."

"Then have me," he said in nearly a growl.

"I . . . that is . . . I've never desired someone before," she continued to stammer as she nervously dropped both hands to her sides. "I've never even come close to this . . . ever."

"I have come close, but never with one so crafted for me," he replied, kissing her again. Titania shifted, trying to end the kiss more quickly as it deepened more quickly. He pulled away, staring down at her in confusion. "Do you think I would harm you?"

"No, it isn't that," she said smoothing her hair again in anxiousness. "I just always thought that I would . . ." she said softly.

Nuada waited as patiently as he could manage, as her mind continued to race in sync with her galloping heart. _You're going to deny him?! He's a prince, an elf prince_, her less mature id screamed. _I promised myself, only with my husband, my one true love_, the mature side of her conscience replied. _I can't; he'll leave for the Faerie Court and never return. He'll forget about me. Then what_? She shook her head in answer to her own inner questions. Nuada frowned, feeling a chance for him to slake his thirst for the girl slipping away into an irrational fear. He began to kneel with her, bidding her firmly follow him silently. Titania obliged, still arguing with herself. He leaned over her, gently stroking the side of her face, soothing her more deliberately with his own spirit. Titania relaxed, feeling one side of the conflict taking over. He leaned down and kissed her once more, this time tenderly and selflessly. She sighed inwardly. _If you're going to compromise your virginity, and you know you are like every other human, then why not with him? He's got to be the most passionate and perfect creature on earth! Just give in!_ Titania frowned at these thoughts. She could not have been seriously considering this after only having met the prince two weeks before! She shifted once more, this time resolving to do as her mind and body were bidding. The stronger voice was right. Nuada would leave for the Faerie Court, but until he did she wanted to be as close to him as possible.

Nuada heard the girl's thoughts and froze. Compromise? Virginity? He sighed and closed his eyes. Could he really take an innocent human like this? _She is not human_, he repeated to himself, _not in spirit_. Still, there was her physical form and emotion to consider until she was released. She would continue to behave and view the world as a human until awakened. It would not be right to bind her to him until then. He would simply have to . . . A loud rustling sound came racing towards the two. Titania closed her eyes as Nuada turned and glanced towards the near edge of the forest. Puck suddenly bounded through the oak border and stopped a few feet from the two.

"**NO**!" he screamed, holding out both hands towards them. "Stop this at once! Please, sire, do not advance any further! Oh, great Bel, what have I done!? Please tell me you are intact, Titania," he exclaimed. The two looked at the pwca in concern as he hobbled towards them and fell on his face wailing. "It was a trick, a ruse! I gave you the passionate enchantment, sire; I didn't mean for it to get this far! Surely, I thought, Titania would have hurried home away from any heated gestures after fighting you off!"

"What!?" Titania exclaimed as she moved to sit upright. Nuada moved backwards, allowing her to sit and glare harshly at the pwca. "You wanted him to get all excited just for me to fight him off?!"

"No, no, no," Puck wept. He hesitated for a moment as Nuada's eyes began burning a dark brown with anger. "Well, yes, but not myself directly. I never thought this would be a good idea!"

"Then who did?! What's gotten into you?!" she shouted back. She turned to Nuada for a moment, holding her shoulder defensively as she scooted away. "Either of you."

"An excellent question," the prince growled. Puck shuddered and lowered himself further to the ground. "One that I believe would be best not answered here."

"Oh, sire, please forgive me!" the pwca wept in more human form. He took hold of Titania by both hands. The girl tried to pull away, angered and confused at this confession. He sobbed heavily. "Oh, my sweet Titania, my little girl. I did not want you to be harmed!"

"Get away from me!" she shrieked. She scrambled away from the pwca as she felt the prince's strong hands close around her shoulders. She felt him lift her to standing, but he did not turn her to face him or continue to keep a grip on her. She gasped and moved quickly away from him, staring back at him in a mixture of embarrassment and disappointment. "I-I'm sorry, your highness."

"_You_ are not to apologize, Titania," he said firmly. Puck groaned, wallowing on the ground with his tears. Nuada looked back towards the forest and frowned. "I had hoped I might show you the finer parts of the forest today, but I find myself in need of information from my subjects in regards to an attempt on the honour of a friend."

She looked down as more pink embarrassment crossed her face. He raised one hand and whistled loudly. Within a few seconds, Rhiannon the pwca reappeared and whinnied loudly.

"You called?" she snorted happily. She noticed the unhappy expressions on each of the three beings now standing (or otherwise) in the forest and frowned as well. "Should I take your friend home, then, sire?"

"Yes, Rhiannon, and quickly," the prince replied. The horse pranced towards the girl as Puck climbed sadly back to his feet. The elf cautiously helped Titania back onto the horse and sighed heavily. He took one hand and grasped hers tightly. "Hold on to her mane as you did with the Epona herself. Do not fight her movements. If she moves too quickly, she knows well what will follow. We will come back tomorrow and I will show you what magic truly is, Titania."

"Your highness, I didn't mean to . . ." she began. He raised a hand to signal for silence. Titania frowned and became still and quiet. The prince felt mortified at having been so near to harming her, so near to destroying the tenderness the forest had given him upon awakening, so near to giving in to something he had never explored. His moral fiber had won in the end, once hearing her thoughts, he had decided against taking her. Still, it would be marvelous in the future to lie with such a powerful spirit. He pulled the back of her hand to his lips and softly kissed her, staring back into her eyes as the enchantment faded from him.

"I do desire you, Titania, but I will do nothing that does not mean following your heart into my happiness," he said softly as he released her hand. The girl stared back down at him in adoration. "I never did thank you for the gift yesterday," he continued as he moved to stand beside Puck. "When we meet tomorrow, we shall have a less eventful day. One with our plans to pursue and not another's to escape." With the last few words he glared down at the pwca in stern reprisal. Rhiannon whinnied and turned to race back to the mansion. "Good day, Titania."

"Good day," she replied quickly as the horse bolted away. Titania found it more difficult to try and compute the happenings of the late morning rather than hold onto the pwca's mane. She hadn't the presence of mind to watch the deep forest fly past as they headed for home. She thought only about the prince's words, his breath, his heart beating so close to her own . . . so very close. He could have taken her, he could have had anything he wanted from her. What had stopped him? She smiled. He loved her. She blushed and giggled softly, placing a hand over her lips. She loved him.

As Rhiannon sped off carrying Titania to safety, Nuada began sauntering back into the forest, seething with indignation. Puck's ears lay flat against his head as he followed the prince silently. They walked all afternoon, sometimes in circles, until arriving back at the tree-house. Puck watched the elf climb the stairs silently and leave the door open behind him. He gulped and followed after, transforming into a humble rabbit once again. He scooted nearly on his belly across the floor as he entered the dwelling. Nuada walked calmly over to one of the chairs in the dining-room and sat down, gazing down at his friend with unsettling ease. Puck hesitated, twitching every available limb as he stared back.

"Come here, my friend," the prince commanded in a gentle tone. Puck shuddered and hopped an inch closer. Nuada gave a wicked smile. "No, no, _here_, my friend," he said patting his lap once. Puck groaned sadly and drew in a very deep breath. It would likely be one of his last. He carefully climbed onto the prince's knee and settled onto all fours in his lap. Nuada breathed calmly and stroked the rabbit's back. Puck winced with every soft movement of the prince's hand. "Someone told you to alter my senses, Puck. Someone very, very tired of living."

"Oh, sire, please," Puck whimpered. Nuada softly laid his hand on the rabbit's back and sighed heavily.

"You are far too frightened, my friend, of others with authority. If it is not the commands of Oberon it is another. Does it not distress you ever that you have such wisdom and power all your own, but you are denied its uses?" the elf asked kindly. The pwca frowned and closed his eyes. A tiny tear streaming from one corner. "This should end. Tomorrow night I shall be shown the way to the Faerie Ring and you will accompany me as my chief consul."

Puck lifted his head in confusion. He glanced back towards the prince, shocked. "Chief consul, sire?"

"Well," the prince continued. "That is, of course, if I know who is truly to blame for this morning."

Puck shifted. Nuada was strong and powerful, but the pwca knew the strengths of the other beings as well. The rabbit feared Badcrumble's anger as much as he did the prince's, but perhaps Nuada's authority and wrath would outdo the old troll's in this instance. After all, Nuada had every good reason to be furious. Puck sighed heavily and sat up on his haunches, placing his paws against the prince's chest. "You may find it difficult to fathom, sire," the pwca began. "But it was Agatha Badcrumble who wished it. She thought it would set your mind to a more proper place."

"Did she now?" the elf said fighting away the urge to slam his fist into the floor before heading off to thoroughly confront the woman. "That is interesting. "

"What will you do, your highness?" Puck asked in genuine concern. He cared for Misses Badcrumble and did not want to see her suffer something too terrible. The elf thought for a moment and then smiled.

"I need twelve canaries," the prince replied with a wry grin. Puck lowered himself, trembling at the realization of what the prince had suddenly concocted. "Yes, I think that should do it."

"Oh, dear," Puck said shaking his furry head. Still, it was a far cry better than banishment, dismemberment, or any other punishment usually visited on magical creatures. All things considered, Nuada was being very understanding and kind in this. The prince glanced out the window as the sun began to set. This would be his last night in the forest, his last night without the weight of the crown. He smiled. Perhaps it would be better to show Titania the forest at night.

-------------------------------------

Nuala grasped her shoulder tightly as Abraham looked over the small wound with agitation. While Jenna had been able to fight against the notion of having the princess take a number of unecessary vaccinations, she had not been able to remove the policy for the bureau that required a physical which included a blood test. The nurse that had been asked to draw blood had found it difficult to find a proper vein and had nearly fallen over at the sight of golden blood filling the medical vial. Nuala wondered if her brother had felt the tiny sting of the strange device. It had been rumoured for years that metal was deadly to magical beings. While this was not true, the she-elf had now realized why her people had told their young such stories. Humans used metal almost exclusively for some of the most inhumane devices. The two had managed to keep their son away from the policies as of yet and Jenna had immediately left for DC with papers to have signed to make sure that stayed in place. It was awful that the princess had been put through a second of the western world's view on medicine, worse that it was being handled by a monster like Welf. The other operatives and agents had been subjected to the same.

Liz found herself resisting the idea more so than even Nuala. What would Welf do when he got word that she was pregnant . . . with twins? For as much hatred as Red had for Nazi's there was just as much fear and hatred to be had for Welf and his ideas of using non-human creatures for testing. Each of the operatives and agents had also been given name tags to display with a bar beneath displaying either 'Status: Human' in red or 'Status: Non-Human' in green. All five members of the team bore the green insignia. This caused almost instantaneous hostility from the pyro and the demon, who, referencing the regime of Third Reich once more, did their best to refuse to display the labels.

"Jenna will do away with this when she returns," Dr. Krauss said in trying to re-assure the team. Liz frowned at him, pacing around the conference room as they waited for a daily update on the bureau (something that had been done for other operatives in administration, but was now deemed mandatory for everyone else). "It is repugnant the way he views this branch."

"It's ridiculous that they even let him back into the US," Red muttered as he placed an arm protectively around his wife. "You okay, babe?"

"Not now," she said softly and leaned into him. Her anxiousness was no longer forcing her away from the ones she loved to defend them, but pulling her closer. She felt absolutely helpless at the moment. She glanced over at Abraham as he continued comforting Nuala and softly stroking the tiny mark on her arm. "He's gone crazy. I mean, he was crazy before, but now he's got people to do crazy things with him and for him."

"Again, I reiterate that this will all be over entirely when Jenna returns," Dr. Krauss said firmly, turning his label over so that the status and title did not show. "I am quite sure that she has more power to her name than this Welf figure. Especially given the fact that there was controversy surrounding his last removal from this facility."

"Yeah, well, a lot has changed since then and this department has gone down the crapper," Red added. "Don't worry, though. Everyone else is following because they're scared of him right now. I guarantee that if it really came down to it there would be more of us than there are of him."

"Numbers do not win these battles, influence does," Nuala said sadly. Abraham had never seen her look so distressed, even at the mercy of her brother. He breathed deeply and pulled her into a warm embrace. "I still cannot find my brother, our link is faded."

"We'll find him," Abe reassured. He glanced towards the door as other operatives began entering the room. "And these travesties will be over when we bring him to us."

--------------------------------

That night, Titania settled into her bed and closed her eyes peacefully. She had visited with her mother briefly at tea and had even had a pleasant conversation with Meryle Ankhman, a business associate visiting with her mother to discuss his plans for a school of modeling. Titania had been too distracted to hear the details of its location and the plan to erect it in the near future. Had she been listening more fully, she would have made a scene and run back into the forest to have Nuada come and threaten the man into leaving. The Morrighan had watched the meeting from a perch on the ground and had then followed the girl silently to her room, perching outside her window as she sipped into bed and into a slumber. The raven smiled brightly.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you, Nuada, your strength is matched in heart," the raven chuckled. "Let us hope that will continue as the obstacles increase. Humans will be in the forest on the morrow, unsavoury humans. Will you have the tenacity to slay them in front of her?" Titania heard the cawing outside her window and sat upright. The Morrighan noticed the girl's movements and raised her wings, flying swiftly from the mansion. "The eclipse is nigh. Will you be ready to face the courtiers who have learned of your recent past?" the raven laughed as it flew into the forest. "What a sight this will be, all of it!"


	27. Dreams, Birds, and the Last Day

_((((Oh boy! This is the last chapter before the eclipse and Manning's trademarked 'Heart Attack of the Month'! Enjoy!))))_

**Chapter 27**

Dreams filled the minds of both Nuada and Titania as the night fell over them. The effect of the events of the day still fizzled in each mind as the silence of sleep took them. The dream world saw fit to allow each not only the opportunity to see the other's dream, but both now found themselves standing at the edge of the forest staring into the sky. Titania breathed deeply and looked towards the prince in confusion. The elf stood still, gazing back and forth between the sparkling sky and the girl. Both were obviously unsure of this setting. Titania cleared her throat and prepared to speak first.

"This isn't right, is it?" she said softly. "I mean, this doesn't seem like any of my dreams with you or about you."

"This dream is not about either one of us," the prince replied with a smile. "This is _dream-fasting_, we're linked for the moment in the spirit world. We must have started to dream at the very same moment in the very same mindset."

"You've done this before, then?" she asked, wondering if this was common for him not only because he was a magical being, but because he was linked to another being through natural circumstance.

"A few times in my childhood, not since then," he said looking back towards the dream image of the mansion. "I was told it was next to impossible for humans without years and years of discipline."

"What do we do now, then?" she asked letting her arms drop to her sides as she turned around and took in the imagery. The mansion was behind them and was exactly as it should have appeared at night. She had seen it many times in the summer months, coming home as late as possible. The air seemed still and cool, but not nearly as cold as it should have been for the season. This was most definitely a fabrication, she realized as she noticed how still and quiet the forest seemed. At night, the forest had more life and noise than the kitchen in some instances. "Can we walk around, or is this limited?"

"Walk?" the prince laughed as he moved towards her, not taking his eyes away from the sky. The nearly golden glow was back in each eye as they stayed fixed to the starlight, seemingly feeding off the tiny splendors shimmering overhead. "Why would you want to do that? You can do that when awakened."

"What then? We just stand here until we wake up?" she asked as he approached. The elf smiled and softly took her by the hand. He turned and said nothing, leading her towards the forest. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he replied. Suddenly, the elf began to run, keeping a firm, but careful grip on the girl's hand. Titania felt her heart leap as she saw that she was keeping up with the prince. Their speed increased until the forest flew by them in a blur, the trees slipping past in the blink of an eye. Titania gasped as she noticed the sight of something strange in the distance; the edge of the cliffs near the sea. She could tell that the ocean was ahead not because she could clearly hear or see it, but because the colour of the landscape changed drastically and it was the only sensible explanation. She tightened her own grip on the prince's hand as they raced towards it. "Trust me, do not stop moving," he called back to her. Titania drew in a breath and held it as the edge came ever closer and finally the solid base of the forest disappeared. The breath she had kept firmly in her lungs vanished as she felt nothing beneath her. He turned back to her as they hovered in the air. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," she whispered breathlessly. He smiled and drew her closer to him.

"Take a moment and breathe," he instructed. She nodded and breathed, marveling at the sensation of floating fully with all limbs aware of it. "Better?"

"Yeah," she muttered and glanced at the ocean waves crashing against the white cliffs beneath them. England was well known for these shores, but she had never seen them from this distance without a plane being involved. "Where are we going?"

"The Black Forest, it is marvelous from above, especially in a dream," he replied and suddenly pushed forward. Titania felt him simply begin gliding through the air, not running or exerting any other force. It was as if the elf had learned long ago how to immediately displace the atmosphere in front of him and fly more swiftly and efficiently than any steel creation of man. He smiled as they swooped towards the clouds and a rush of cold air blew over them. Titania recognized the sensation as being cold, but she did not feel the need to shiver or cover herself. It was odd, to have a sensation with no reaction needed. "I take it you have never flown like this before even in dreaming?"

"I've flown in my dreams, but you're right, not like this!" she replied as they drifted over the ocean. She could make out the sight of the dark waters churning in lunar rhythm as the edge of The Netherlands came into view. Titania recognized the shape of the start of Europe from a class trip some years ago. She and her mother had seen a great deal of the continent of old on that trip, but Titania had been more fascinated with the local legends they heard from older villagers about the forests, the rivers, the mountains, and the creatures that lived there working their magic. "This is amazing!"

"Let's have a closer look, shall we?" he said. Titania glanced towards him as he aimed downward and the two swooped towards the countryside. She gasped and grasped his shoulder with her free arm as they barely missed the edge of an old tower. He laughed and patted her hand comfortingly. "Nothing to fear; this is a dream, remember?"

Titania widened her eyes as a herd of goats ran bleating over the green landscape beneath them. It would be winter soon and these creatures would not see open fields for some time. She smiled as the chilled night air moved past them, her dark hair flowing like a cloud behind her as his white blonde tresses did the same. In this dream, in the darkness, and in the light of the moon and stars he seemed like an angel, wingless and poised. She noted that he was clothed in white with red trim and what appeared to be woven bone as the armour protecting his shoulders and chest. His family's crest, always displayed proudly since he had painstakingly earned his familiar clothing, glistened every time the two turned or moved higher. Titania watched the countryside move swiftly beneath them as they flew. What a memory to create and share!

"There! Look!" Nuada called. He pointed towards the sight of enormous dark tree tops speeding towards them. Titania felt their speed slow to a more faint cruise as they met with the forest over what she now recognized as Germany. Titania stared down into the trees and saw something very strange. Lights of several colours sparkled and flashed every so often. "Do you see them?"

"What are they?" she asked as they swooped downward over the tops of the trees themselves. Titania took hold of his shoulder more tightly with her free hand and watched in amazement as the lights took a more magical shape. Tiny creatures clad in flowing robes of coloured lights leapt happily from branch to branch, sometimes colliding and sending a spray of the light into the air. "They're beautiful!"

"Those are pixies, it is their Night Festival," he explained as they dove and floated over the forest. "They celebrate the last few glimpses of summer from the old days as the Festival of Samhain draws closer. Do you know of it?"

"Yes, it's your new year's celebration," she replied. "We've used it to celebrate death for centuries."

"Death?" he laughed as he took both her hands in his and began to swoop upward once more. "We must celebrate _**life**_!"

Titania shrieked as they burst through a stream of clouds and suddenly began to feel the cold surrounding her. She started to shiver as they hovered in the clear sky over the clouds. She breathed deeply as her breath began to form clouds of their own in front of her face. She glanced towards him and smiled brightly, fighting away the chill surrounding her. She turned her head, taking in the sight of the stars being closer and brighter than ever before. Nuada moved behind her, wrapping his arms warmly about her waist and arms and leaning his head over her shoulder.

"This is incredible," she whispered. "Imagine the eclipse from here."

"I rather think the view will be as splendid from Bethmoora, provided our position is the same," he said with a grin. Titania shuddered more violently for a moment feeling his breath at her ear. Nuada moved his face away and glanced upward, sighing. "I believe I have never seen the sky until now, not really."

"Me either," Titania whispered as she placed her hands over his arms tenderly. "I will be able to see you after you're on the throne, won't I?"

"This is not the first time you've asked," he said moving away and taking her hands in his as they began drifting back towards England. "My answer will not change, Titania. I will see you." The prince, of course, was referring to the plan that he had for taking her with him to the Faerie Court. She didn't belong among the humans and it was destroying her natural spirit and magic to be so confined. The ventures into the forest alone would not be enough to sustain her for much longer, she was growing into a human woman and would soon be burdened with the expectations laid upon them. "The night will not be restful if we stay here. Come, let us go home."

Titania frowned and stepped backwards. "I wish this night could last the rest of my lifetime," she mumbled. "I'll never see anything this incredible again."

"I disagree," the elf replied. He flew forward, arms outstretched and swept Titania into his arms. Titania gasped and placed her arms around his neck, holding as tightly as possible without suffocating him. Nuada made sure that he would not be in danger of dropping her whatsoever as they gained speed. With her knees curled over one arm and his other arm cradling her back, the couple flew more swiftly than before over the dark forest to the edge of Europe. Titania leaned her head against his shoulder when the sight of the ocean appeared beneath them. The cold dark waters seemed as solid and serene as the sky from this height. Titania glanced over her shoulder, suddenly noticing a particularly large fish, or something that should have been a fish, as it leapt upward and snapped its jaws toward them. Titania shrieked and further buried her head in the prince's shoulder. Nuada laughed and swooped upward, then downward, emphasizing their motion for effect. Titania frowned at him and playfully smacked his shoulder.

"That's not funny!" she said firmly.

"Again, I disagree," he said gazing into her eyes and allowing their speed to slow. The forest was beneath them again and the mansion would not be far. Titania froze and willed herself to stay perfectly still as she felt them descending to the ground. Her gaze remained fixed on his as she felt land settle beneath them. The elf set her down on the ground gently, keeping hold on her hand as she stepped away to look at him more fully. "Tomorrow I will show you more of the magical realm; your questions will, in some small part, be answered."

Titania smiled and nodded. "I guess I should go back inside, then."

"Perhaps you'd better have, for now," he said gently pressing his lips to the back of her hand. Titania felt a rush of heat replace the cold of the night. "I will see you in the morning, Titania. Good night."

"Good night, your highness," she replied, then quickly hurried up to the door of the mansion. She stopped on the doorstep and glanced over her shoulder at him.

Nuada smiled and turned away, satisfied that Titania had not been terribly wounded by him that afternoon. The air around him suddenly shifted and the forest began to contort into an odd wooden mass. The prince took a step backwards and watched in amazement as the enormous mass of wood and green became a strange and familiar chamber, his father's throne room. His mouth went dry and his mind went numb. The memories now associated with the resting place for the once indestructible army of gold were quite bitter. He stepped forward, listening carefully. Why had he suddenly appeared beneath the Giant's Causeway? He hadn't thought about this place in days. He glanced around and moved forward, trying to grasp what thoughts or feelings had drawn him here. He suddenly caught the sound of a faint pulse in the distance. As he focused on the stream of beats, he felt a wave of recognition wash over him. There was another presence here, one that he had not felt so fully since before his rebirth. The corners of his mouth suddenly raised into a broad grin. "Nuala."

**----------------------------------**

Nuala glanced around in her mind as carefully as possible despite the fears and pain rushing through her subconscious. The surrounding events with the appearance of this new and fascist agent added to the realization of her brother's rebirth were weighing heavily on every part of her mind. She had tried desperately to quiet herself enough to find her brother's heart beat and contact him. Abraham had told her about a passage he had found, a poem describing a spell that had been placed on her brother years before. Perhaps that was what had distanced the link as they had grown older and surely that was the very reason that he had grown so angry and near madness. Things would be different for him now. She would find him and convince Abraham to leave this life behind to take care of her brother and their son in a more fitting environment.

Nuala drew in a deep breath as she tried to concentrate on the link she had so often been inclined to hear years before. She was the only person who could not only find her brother for the team, but also keep him from doing terrible things and being taken prisoner. She wanted Nuada to be free, not a captive of the bureau. As good as their intentions would be for him, they would undoubtedly do him more harm than any enemy. She drifted backwards, releasing all thoughts and feelings save the closeness she desired with her brother. She felt his heartbeat. The words that Abraham had said to her haunted her for the moment. A curse, a curse that had broken his heart. She opened her spiritual eyes cautiously, finding herself standing in the throne room beneath Ireland once more. She glanced around anxiously; this place harboured bad energy after the deaths she and her brother had been forced to endure here. She turned as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Sister?" a familiar voice said softly. Nuala smiled brightly as she faced her brother. She lowered her head and watched as his expression grew to nothing short of rapture. He flew forward, arms outstretched as he ran to her. "Nuala!"

"Brother!" she cried as the two embraced. The prince's breath trembled as he clung tightly to his sister, wanting to stay here in this moment for at least a hundred years. "Oh, Nuada, I have mourned for you! I have missed you! I love you!"

"And I love you, sister," he replied pulling away while still grasping her shoulders. He stared calmly into her face and suddenly frowned. "Is this still a dream?"

"Yes, brother, but one of ours together. I needed to speak with you," she explained. Nuada closed his eyes and sighed in relief. His sister was not only alive, but the link remained as strong as ever. Nuala glanced towards the floor. "Much has changed, my brother."

"You are still my sister," he said placing a hand on the side of her face gently. He had cut a small gash in her cheek weeks before when threatening members of the bureau. He wished he could soothe away the memory to match the healed skin that now stared back at him. "I am well, Nuala, and I can see that you are doing as splendidly. You will be most pleased to hear that the throne beneath Newgrange will soon be ours once again. I will reclaim the crown for Bethmoora and we will have power in the old lands. We can go home, Nuala, together!"

"Brother," she said uneasily. The prince quieted as his sister softly stepped backwards, a greater anxiety filling her yellow eyes. "Much has changed. I do not wish to have the crown or the throne; our family's days in power are finished. I have a new home now." Nuada gave her a sideways glance, harshness beginning to grow behind the amber warmth in his gaze. She stayed perfectly still, trying to keep her brother calm yet attentive. "I would have you join me, brother."

"Join you?" he said in confusion. Nuala looked away as the prince moved closer. "Sister, it is my right and duty to claim the crown. We are royalty by choosing not choice; it is the will of fate. How can you deny your own place in the world?"

"I have a different place, brother," she said softly. She had feared deeply the moment she would be faced with the truth of her marriage being laid before her brother. She drew in strength with a breath and folded her hands in front of her reverently. "I have a family."

"I am your family, Nuala," he continued as he raised his voice. His eyes glistened as he stepped backwards, raising a hand in accusation. "What is it that you speak of? What have you done?"

"Brother, please try to understand and be tender now," she whispered. "I have a husband."

"Husband?!" Nuada whispered in horror.

"And a son," she continued. Nuada turned away, grasping his head as his breaths shortened and sharpened. Nuala tried to give her brother some of her own gentleness and serenity, but it would not pass to him. He growled softly and glared harshly at her. "You know whom I have chosen. I do not need to tell you his name, but I would ask that you . . ."

"You have no right to ask me anything!" he shouted angrily, staring back into her eyes hatefully. "Why have you done this!? Why have you betrayed me so?!"

"Betrayed?" Nuala asked.

"Was I not enough?!" the prince said furiously, waving both arms in exasperation.

Nuala felt anger of her own rising. She had rarely shown emotions such as these to her brother. In their youth she had been strong and bold while he timidly hid behind their mother. Now the princess played the part of the meeker and the prince was well feared by his sibling. At the moment, Nuala willed the meekness to begin melting away. "Enough? You could not be my husband, Nuada, you are my brother!" she replied angrily. The bond bestowed on them had played a cruel tune in either heart during their years of developing; the closeness they shared had given both a reason to not explore other beings for romance or other loves. In Nuala's eyes, romance had never been necessary and she was happy with the love of her brother. Nuada, being a passionate creature, felt that the bond with his sister was the replacement for the loves that other creatures shared with their soul mate. It had made a cruel and unusual strained relationship between the two in adulthood. The princess frowned, now scowling at him. "It is forbidden!"

"_**This**_ is forbidden, your union with that . . . that . . . that thing! He isn't an elf, he isn't even a human!" he ranted, walking to and fro angrily. "A child . . . a son, no less . . . an unfathomable abomination! I warned you, Nuala, I told you to end any tenderness you kept for Abraham! It will be your undoing!"

"_**You**_ were my undoing!" she spat. The prince froze, staring back at the creature that he had most greatly wounded and had, in turn, most greatly wounded him. "I was given a chance to live again, Nuada, a chance to have what I had envied in father and mother. What should it matter that Abraham is not an elf? What difference does it make?"

"All the difference on earth!" Nuada replied. He breathed heavily and continued pacing. He glanced back towards his sister, a familiar wicked sneer formed over his dark lips. "I will wait to finalize my crowning. The girl has the map and the compass, they can be deciphered in my absence."

"Absence?" Nuala said as she watched her brother's movements.

"I believe I remember where that filthy creature took you. I can travel quickly and retrieve you from him," he said softly. "It will be easy enough to find him and slay him. Once he is dead, then his unholy seed will be . . ."

**CRACK**! Nuada flew several feet across the floor on his back as his sister's hand met his cheek with a great force behind it. He stared back at her in disbelief, clutching the side of his face as it began to throb. The princess stood back where the prince had recently been pacing; panting and still holding her hand aloft. She remembered well the first time she had struck him in their childhood and the first time he had struck her. It had been enough to make the princess afraid of him for years to come. Nuada felt a sharp pain rip through his chest as tears formed in his sister's tender eyes. She placed her hand over her mouth, beginning to sob pitifully. The prince began trying to climb to his feet, reaching out to her to steady her sadness.

"Nuala, no, I didn't mean . . ." he stammered.

"Leave me!" she screamed. The prince stared at her in disbelief as she turned away, sobbing uncontrollably. "Leave me, Nuada and never speak to me again! I have no brother!"

"Sister, no!" Nuada cried as the form of his twin began to ripple and fade. He gasped, the air in the warping throne room growing thick and unbearable. He fought against the tension surrounding him, struggling to surface in the dream. He felt inclined to scream, it was the only way to breathe for the moment. He released sound and spirit in a long, loud scream as he felt himself sit upright. The darkness before the start of sunlight met his eyes. He closed them tightly, reaching both hands to his face. What had he done? He had been cruel to his sister, yet again. Why could he not summon the diplomacy he desired when he needed it most? He loved Nuala, why had he continued to hurt her so. The prince was unable to halt sobbing of his own, the tears mingled with a sheen of sweat that had formed over him in the night. Puck raced over to his master, placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Oh, sister!"

"Sire, what has happened?" Puck exclaimed, softly stroking the prince's shoulder to further offer comfort. He had not seen the prince so distressed since he had been nearly starved in the forest. He took either side of the elf's face in his hands and forced his friend to face him. "Sire it was a dream! Please, calm yourself! You are unharmed. It was only a dream."

"Not a dream," Nuada whispered as he softly pushed his friend's hands away. He wiped the tears furiously from his eyes. "A nightmare. A horrid nightmare with a raging beast out to destroy what I treasure most."

"But, sire," the pwca said trying to jostle his master back into reality.

"Leave me, Puck, please," the prince whispered as he hung his head sadly. "Please, go. I must think now about what I have done and how to undo it."

The rabbit hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave the elf alone after such an upset. Still, Nuada was a capable adult. He sighed and lowered himself to the floor before slinking towards the ladder. "As you wish, sire. Please try and rest when you are finished."

The elf grasped his forehead and held tightly, hoping to force out the dream that had ended his rest. A loud cackling drew his attention away from self pity. He raise his eyes, glaring at the familiar raven perching in the windowsill. The Morrighan smiled brightly and cocked her head to one side.

"You have precious little time left before the eclipse, my nephew," the old creature rasped. "Why are you not sparring with a troll to fine tune your senses or demanding undue respect from forest creatures?"

"You," he hissed. "Can you not let me have a night's peace?! Why did you invade such a dream; why show me such darkness now!?"

"Bad dreams will be the least of your worries from this night onward! Oberon awaits, he will not simply let you stroll through the entrance to the court and take your rightful place. That's not to mention what the other members of the court will say to you once you show yourself," she snapped. Nuada froze and stared at her in disbelief. "They know of your recent past, my prince. They know you murdered your father and that your sister's act of cowardice ended your insanity. Have you not considered what they will say in regards to that, nephew?"

"I grow weary of the incessant meddling of those that should respect me more than anyone! First Misses Badcrumble's ridiculous attempt to have me take Titania's innocence and then your continued ravings," the prince growled loudly as he rose and stormed towards the window. The Morrighan lifted her wings and fluttered out into the rest of the night breaking into dawn ever so slowly, shrieking madly. "Do not show yourself to me again, Morrighan, until you are ready to bow to me!" He shouted. After the form of the raven had disappeared into the blackness, Nuada clenched his fist and screamed into nothing. Puck trembled and watched as the prince breathed heavily and placed both hands on the windowsill. He stood simply panting heavily and fighting away the urge to destroy something, anything. A moment later, he lifted his head and called into the forest for any birds listening. Puck frowned and turned to head down the stairs. Whatever the prince had in mind right now, it was best that he not know about it.

**------------------------------**

The sounds coming from the mansion's kitchen in the morning were anything but pleasant or normal. Nadia had been too afraid to enter the cooks inner sanctum, but she remained pacing to and fro in front of the door as the commotion continued. Magnus had gone down into the kitchen twice to try and see if he could rectify the situation. Unfortunately, the butler had come right back up the stairs looking disheveled and anxious. Nadia demanded an explanation immediately and the butler came up with the best one he could.

"The kitchen is . . . Misses Badcrumble is . . . there are . . . well . . . canaries," the butler replied rubbing his head. "Agatha says that anyone who comes down to the kitchen without a bird net will suffer."

"Canaries?" Nadia gasped. "What on earth, how did that happen?!"

Titania wandered down the stairs, still lost in thought about the prince's words and the look in his eyes. He had changed so greatly over the past few days, hadn't he? He had been insistent on a rampage to kill all of humanity in the name of the earth when they had met. He hadn't spoken of it in days. In fact, he had spoken almost exclusively of returning to the throne. What would happen once he returned, she wondered. She did know that she loved him, she cared most deeply for him and wanted nothing more than to spend her days with him. It felt unreal, like an enchantment, just as her mother had described it to her. She walked towards her mother and Magnus as they stood exchanging odd ideas of who they could call to take care of the canaries. Titania's mind cleared and focused as she caught part of the conversation.

"Pest control won't do much for us, Magnus," Nadia argued. "They're not equipped for this kind of . . . well . . . emergency."

"But Agatha is in distress," Magnus argued, glancing nervously at the kitchen door.

"What's going on?" Titania asked as she approached. She had dressed casually and headed down to the dining-room much later than she usually did. What kind of horror could have befallen Misses Badcrumble this early in the morning?

"Oh, it's something strange and awful, dear," Nadia said taking her daughter by the shoulder. "I'm afraid the kitchen is swarming with canaries and Misses Badcrumble refuses to leave them. I suggest you and I head into town for breakfast while Magnus tries to take control of the situation."

"Canaries!" Titania exclaimed as she headed toward the kitchen door past the two. "Fragglewumps are terrified of canaries!"

Nadia and Magnus stared at the girl in confusion as she pulled the door open and headed into the kitchen. Nadia reached forward to try and weakly stop the girl. Magnus took the woman by the arm and shook his head. Nadia frowned and sighed.

"I don't understand half of what the girl says, but I do worry about the things she gets herself into," Nadia said with resignation. "Still, if anyone can figure out what to do with rogue animals that aren't dangerous, it would be Titania."

"Sometimes I rather think she and Agatha have a whole other secret world to themselves," Magnus added as he turned and walked towards the front door. "I will send for animal control, madam."

"I'll be here," Nadia sighed as she sat down at the table.

----------------------------

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Misses Badcrumble screamed as swatted at the canaries fluttering around the kitchen. "Have mercy, your highness! I meant no real harm!"

"I still find it hard to believe, Agatha Badcrumble, that you thought no harm would come from setting my defenses and Titania's, at odds," the prince said calmly as he leaned against the wall. He sat reclined on one of the counters with one knee pulled to his chest and one arm curled around it; grasping the book Titania had given him as he gestured towards her. "Did you not think that, at the very least, Titania's feelings would have been hurt?"

"She's a strong little lassie! I saw no harm in it!" Misses Badcrumble shouted in reply as she ducked to allow three of the twelve canaries to fly over her head. Nuada had called on the aid of the all the birds to go into the city and gather their yellow brethren. Twelve canaries had proved to be a most useful method of discipline so far. "Please, your highness, have mercy! I'll never do the like again, I swears it! Please, be merciful and take the beasties away!"

"And that will be the end of any mischief towards me on your part?" the prince asked with a smooth brow raised. The cook dropped to her knees in front of the elf and sobbed, nodding furiously. Nuada sighed heavily and shook his head. "I still do find it hard to believe that you would do something so hurtful to a little girl _and_ royalty."

"What the . . .?!" Titania exclaimed as she entered the room and stared from the elf to the cook in surprise. "What is going on in here?! How did all these birds get in?" Misses Badcrumble knelt on the floor, staring at the girl while trembling. Nuada glanced at the girl in satisfaction. "Prince Nuada, don't you know that she's terrified of these!"

"I am prince of the magical realm, of course I know that," he replied examining a passage from the book with a shrug. "It was the deciding factor in the punishment I devised for her."

"Punishment?" Titania asked as she reached for an empty crate to contain the birds until she could get them outside once more or figure out where the domestic birds had come from. "Why did she need to be punished?"

"Because she gave me something to alter my senses yesterday. Certainly, you remember that," he said as he hopped off the counter and whistled three times. The canaries instantly turned and flew over to the prince, landing on the prince's shoulder. One landed on his head and stared down into the elf's face with curiosity. Nuada glanced up at the bird and frowned. "I believe this was sufficient without doing too much damage."

"Mom is on the brink of calling animal control if Magnus hasn't done that already," Titania exclaimed as she hurried to help Misses Badcrumble stand. The cook wiped her eyes and blew her nose as the girl picked up the crate and carried it to the prince. "What if someone had seen you? Isn't there some kind of magical rule that you can't be seen by regular humans?"

"Magical rule?" Nuada laughed as he reached up and softly took the bird that had perched on his head in one hand. "There are protocols to follow, my dear, but those have nothing to do with situations such as these. In fact, if she had attacked me so after my coronation, she might have faced something far more stringent."

"But it's over and nothing happened," Titania argued as she reached out and took the bird from the prince, gently setting it in the crate. "Mom can't see you! Do you know what would happen if she got a look at you after what I told her?"

"What did you tell her? The elf asked as he helped set the rest of the birds in the crate. "She hasn't tried to bolt you behind a door and surely a human mother wouldn't allow her only daughter to go frolicking in the forest with an elf, least of all a prince."

"Well, that's not important," Titania said with a sigh. "I'm going to take these up to Magnus. Misses Badcrumble, don't let him past my mom. She's sitting in the dining room and I really don't want her to see him. I don't think he wants that, either."

"Very good, dearie," Misses Badcrumble sniffed as she wiped her eyes once more. "I do apologize for the nonsense yesterday."

"It's fine, we just need to get through today and tonight," Titania said as she opened the door and glanced around. "The eclipse is tonight. After that . . ." she glanced back at the prince with a smile. "Everything can be set back to normal."

"Normal is hardly something that I have ever been concerned with," the prince replied with a grin. Titania smiled and hurried back into the dining room.

------------------------

Nadia looked up as her daughter came racing up the stairs away from the kitchen with a crate in her hands. The crate trembled and chirped as she stopped at the edge of the table. "I've got them," she said proudly. "I think something went wrong in an order she made. She said they just popped out of nowhere." Titania felt comfortable telling her mother slight lies as long as they protected something necessary and didn't involve too much deviation from the truth. Still, a warm feeling of guilt washed over her as she began looking around for Magnus. "You can probably have Magnus drive them down to the humane society."

"Darling, is everything alright?" Nadia asked as she rose and moved towards her daughter. "You seem flustered and distressed; that isn't like you."

"I'm fine, mom," Titania lied and shook her head as she set the crate on the floor in front of her mother. "I'm going to go and check Misses Badcrumble's vitals. She had a pretty bad scare. Maybe you could get a visiting doctor while you're out."

"Darling, what happened yesterday? You seemed a mess of sunshine and now you seem so . . . rushed, like something is pressing on your mind," the woman said gently stroking the girl's face with her hand. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you need me to contact the tutors? Is it the thought of going back to school after a terrible visit?"

"No, it's not that," she said scratching her head and glancing back towards the kitchen door. "It's that guy. Mom, I need to ask you about something . . . tomorrow."

Nadia stared at her daughter carefully, trying to examine outwardly anything that might have transpired inwardly. Titania's eyes still seemed innocent and unsure, not marred by something horrific or life changing but most definitely lost in several thoughts. The woman nodded slowly, not wanting to press the issue at the moment. "I'll go into town with Magnus and be back at lunch. Make sure Misses Badcrumble's heart is in good order," her mother said as she hugged her tightly. Titania sighed and accepted the embrace with more satisfaction than she had felt from such a gesture in years. "I'll be back, dear."

"I'll see you when you get home, mom," Titania called as she raced back towards the kitchen.

Nadia called for Magnus. The butler took the crate in his hands and set it in the car as Nadia pulled out her cellular phone. There was one missed call listed. Nadia furrowed her brow, barely recognizing the number. "Thomas," she said softly as she sat down in the back with the crate. She eyed it nervously and groaned at the thought of riding into town with a flock of canaries beside her. She sighed and looked at the time. Perhaps Thomas was awake and would be ready to accept a call from her. She still needed to tell him about Titania's first love. Nuada was his name, or so she had remembered it being. She sighed and dialed the numbers, thinking about how best to break the news to her ex-husband that their daughter was spending time out in the forest with a first love and, from all appearances, the desire to physically manifest it.


	28. The Eclipse, 3rd Task

**Chapter 28**

Thomas Manning glanced at his phone and sighed. Nadia was calling again. It was the middle of the night now, but he knew that it was much earlier where his ex-wife sat dialing the phone. He flipped open the covering as he paced back and forth in front of the library that was home to Abraham and Nuala. The princess had awakened crying a little over two hours ago and had not ceased lamenting, but would not say a word of what had happened. He could still hear the she-elf's wailing through the door as he pressed the 'on' key.

"Manning here, what do you need?" he said as officially as he could manage.

On the other end of the line, Nadia frowned. Her ex-husband had a way of not being able to separate work from casual life and rather lived in an odd mixture of the two at all times.

"Thomas? It's Nadia," she said brightly. "I needed to tell you something about Titania, it's not bad news, but I felt that you should be aware of it."

"Oh," Manning said feeling a parental tension stirring within him. Whether or not it was bad news, it was always best in his mind to be on the defensive and at the ready. "Wha- what is it?"

Nadia shook her head at hearing the man's heavy breathing. No doubt he was still under the stresses of working with the paranormal division of the FBI for the United States and was working himself into an early grave. "Well, I thought I might tell you that she's in love, Thomas. I believe it's her first. She seems to be handling it intelligently, but I do worry about her being out in the forest with him alone," she explained, glancing at the moving crate with a frown. The chirps and squeaks were making her more nervous by the minute. "I'm not even sure how old he is or what he looks like. I shall have to find all of that out this week."

"Well, what do you know about him?" Manning asked, half listening intently and half shutting out the sounds of Nuala weeping. "Is he British?"

"No, she says he's Japanese or something, but she met him while she was there with you, in New York she said. Apparently he has enough funds to travel quite a bit," Nadia replied. The crate jumped with a particularly loud chirp. She shrieked slightly, dropping the phone in her lap momentarily. Fumbling to bring it back to her ear, she cleared her throat and spoke again. "His name is . . . "

"Nuadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Nuala wailed from behind the bronze coated doors entirely too loud for Manning to hear Nadia. "Oh, my brother! Nuada!"

Manning growled softly and squeezed his eyes shut as he forced away the urge to shout at the doors. He breathed heavily, unable to hide the whistling sound of his stress from the phone's receiver. "Uh, w-w-w-what was that, Nadia? His name was what?"

Nadia sighed and shook her head. "I said his name was . . ."

"Nuadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Nuala wailed once more, this time lingering the last syllable for what seemed like five minutes until her voice faded into the cloth of a blanket she had pulled around her. The wailing was now joined by another voice; Leopold's. The baby's screams and his mother's lament were too great an interference for Manning. He covered one ear with a scowl forming across his tightened lips and shouted into the phone.

"I'll have to call you back, Nadia," he said as loudly as he could. "Just try to keep an eye on her. She's a smart girl, but I don't like him."

"You know less about him than I do!" Nadia exclaimed. The crate beside her shuddered and jumped again with a feather shooting from one of the holes used to keep produce fresh that served to ensure fresh air for the canaries. The woman shrieked and dropped the phone once more. This time, the phone toppled onto the floor, hanging up and shutting off as it hit the carpeted floor with a smack. "Darn," she muttered as she reached down for it. "I didn't expect much from him in the first place."

"Is something wrong, Madam?" Magnus asked from the driver's seat. It had been too early in the day for Nadia to have called on Klaus for an impromptu trip into town. The butler was used to carting the woman around in the absence of a driver and glanced at her through the mirror. "Are the birds getting loose?"

"No, Magnus," Nadia replied with a heavy sigh. She glanced out the window, feeling for the first time a true measure of anxiety at leaving Titania at home by herself. The girl would no doubt wander into the forest once Misses Badcrumble was found to be unharmed (which Nadia did not doubt was the case). She furrowed her brow, wondering what advice her daughter might need from her. She gazed with apprehension at the passing fields and sparse trees. "Magnus," she called from the back seat. "Let's stop by Marion's Bookstore on the way back."

"Something to research, Madam?" Magnus asked trying to keep his eyes on the road while trying to read the woman's expression. She frowned and shifted uncomfortably as the crate continued to jostle and chirp.

"Yes," she said. "Love."

--------------------------------

"Darling, please, tell me what happened," Abraham said as he continued trying not only to coax an explanation from Nuala, but to take hold of her as well. He had heard her cries from the tank where he had gone to rejuvenate for several minutes as he usually did during the night. "Please, my love, just tell me what is wrong. What happened? Was it a nightmare? Was it your brother? What happened?"

Nuala wailed all the louder and turned away from her husband, not allowing him a good grip on any portion of her as she continued the senseless lament. Abraham groaned and rubbed his head in frustration. Nuala had never been this disagreeable at all. She had gone off to sleep, promising that she would try only once more to find her brother until Jenna had returned and things were more stable for them. What had she seen? She was calling her brother's name and continuing to cry like there was no hope for some tragedy she alone was facing. He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for her once more as Leopold's screams became more pronounced.

"Oh, dear," Abe muttered glancing towards the door into the library. He sighed and turned back to Nuala who was turned away from him, shuddering with tears. "Nuala, really . . . Leopold is in need of something. Can't you tell me at all what happened?"

The she-elf simply wept, not turning towards her husband as he hesitated and waited for a reply. He finally thought of Leopold lying in distress and headed into the library for him. Whatever was troubling Nuala, she was not going to be forthcoming any time soon. He walked over to the crib as the doors to the library burst open and an angry Manning entered. Abe turned and watched him approach, taking Leopold into his arms. Manning stormed up to the agent and infant scowling and panting.

"What is going on in here?!" he demanded. "It is the middle of the night and people are trying to sleep! There, there, there are agents trying to get work done and there is a schedule to keep, mister!"

"I am very sorry, Doctor Manning, but Nuala is beside herself and nothing I say will console her. I need to take care of Leopold, if you'll excuse me," he said turning to go and see whether or not there was still a bottle left for him to pacify the child. Abe hadn't learned the differences in the cries that were the infant's only language, but Nuala wasn't in the shape to translate or feed him for the moment. Manning frowned and stayed standing in the centre of the room, feeling unsatisfied with his small reprimand and in need of further chastising towards the agents who had cost him both a good night's sleep and an important phone call. "Where did she leave them?" Abe wondered aloud. "Hmmm, I don't remember what she said she did with . . . "

"This is entirely unacceptable, Agent Sapien," Manning said loudly. He started after the fish-man, breathing heavily and unsteadily as he followed. "That kind of disturbance is detracting from anything important that might be going on. What would happen if we had an emergency and no one could hear them-them-them-themselves think?"

"Doctor Manning, I cannot control my wife's emotions. She's been through an enormous upheaval over the past few weeks, the greatest changes she's ever faced in her life. And that's saying something considering she's a little under 4,000 years old," Abe countered as he tried to remember where Nuala kept the bottles Liz had showed her how to make. He sighed heavily. "Perhaps Liz remembers."

"This is just . . . intolerable," Manning ranted as Abe walked past him to the door. "She is going to upset the entire facility."

"She's in distress, Doctor Manning. I don't like it, either," Abe replied as he reached for the handle. The door opened from the other side, revealing an unhappy demon and pyro-kinetic. "Oh, no. I am very sorry, both of you, but there's nothing to do for her. She won't even look at me let alone speak to me."

"What did you do?" Red asked in confusion. Liz sighed and glanced at Leopold.

"Why are you just standing there while he's crying?" she asked in frustration. Abe frowned.

"Please let me handle this, you can go back to bed, really," Abe said as Liz reached out for the baby. The woman gently took the infant into her arms, something no one in the group had ever expected to see. She frowned and began walking towards the bedroom the two shared when Abe had no desperate need of water. "Oh, uh, Liz, Nuala is quite upset right now."

"I know, but I think he wants her," she replied trying to get an awkward grasp on the child. The three men left standing watched in stunned silence as Liz walked calmly into the room, holding Leopold to her. "Your highness, your baby needs you. He's upset."

Nuala could barely hear the woman's words over her own fussing. The she-elf was partly mourning the words her brother had said to her, but also mourning the words she had said to him and for striking him when he needed her. His anger was a product of insecurity in this instance, she had done the worst thing possible in lashing back. She pulled the blanket more fully around herself, sitting on the opposite edge of the bed huddled in a mass of sadness. Liz frowned and stared down at the baby. She was feeling oddly centered despite the lack of sleep and current strain on the bureau. She sighed and sat down on the edge of bed opposite the princess as the she-elf continued sobbing madly. Liz frowned and shook her head. Whatever was bothering the princess was more than anyone in the facility had been faced with handling in their lives. Nuala was usually so docile and quiet; mousy was the word Red has used when not near enough to be heard. Liz tried to think of something to say to jar the princess's attention away from the secret tragedy and allow her to focus on her son before confiding whatever it was in Abe later on.

"It's not going to get any better if you don't let someone know what's going on," Liz sighed. Nuala ignored this and pulled her shoulders more tightly to herself with both hands clasped tightly over them. Liz shook her head and stared back at Leopold. At least she could try to soothe the infant. She adjusted the baby to allow his head to rest against the crook of her arm while she cradled him. She could remember only one song that she had ever learned how to sing as a child and it was not a lullaby. None of the group had seen a tender, motherly portion of Liz and they had certainly never heard her use her voice for anything other than conversation, orders, or shouting at Red. It was time to start practicing for her own children, she thought.

"_Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be close to you._" Nuala froze and allowed the sobbing to lessen at the sound of the woman's voice. "_Why do stars fall down from the sky, every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be close to you._" The she elf ceased crying and turned, watching the once unsure pyro handling the baby as if he were her own. She smiled at him and softly rocked him. Nuala released the blanket and watched her stand, not allowing the baby to be moved at all. His crying was now simple grunting as the song continued. "_On the day that you were born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true. So they sprinkled moon-dust in your hair and gold and starlight in your eyes so blue._" Liz didn't seem to notice that Nuala had become silent, or at the least she didn't want to relinquish the victory she had over the infant's mood. "_That is why all the girls in town, follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be close to you. Close to you._"

"I shouted at my brother," Nuala whispered as if confessing to her mother. Liz turned, gently bouncing Leopold to further soothe him. "And I struck him, very harshly."

"How?" Liz asked as she moved to the she-elf's side and sat down. "Where was he?"

"I summoned us back to the throne room in a dream. Perhaps it was a poor choice, I am sure he felt threatened to begin with," the princess explained. Liz scoffed and looked down at the infant as Nuala continued. "He is alive, but I cannot see where. Our link is weaker than ever, but I do know that he lives. He does not approve of my marriage, or of Leopold."

"So?" Liz muttered. Nuala reached out and softly took her son from the woman, nodding to her gratefully. "Does that matter to you? He wasn't going to be happy with anyone you married. He seemed kind of creepy and focused on you in that red-neck, 'love your cousin' sense. You and Abe are doing fine. If he tries anything, we'll be more than ready."

"You are sure of this?" Nuala asked with anxiousness halting her breath. Leopold grunted and reached up for his mother, begging her to hold him more closely and comfort him. "I did not sense the same intentions in him. Perhaps his ambitions have changed."

"Well, maybe he's found something else to do, wherever he is," Liz offered with a shrug. "Still, you should go out there and talk to Abe. He looked really upset when you wouldn't speak to him like that."

"I do not want him to worry," she replied looking away. "I want him to be at rest. He has been anxious of many things recently."

"We all have," Liz said as the two stood and walked towards the door. "Luckily, nothing is bothering us at the moment. Maybe your brother will lay low for a few weeks and you two can kind of come up with a plan of action."

"I need to find him," Nuala whispered as they moved into the library. Her brow furrowed as she realized something about her brother from the vision that she had not been able to grasp in the moments that she had been with him. She cocked her head to one side and smiled slightly. "And whatever creature has captured his heart."

"Huh?" Liz asked in confusion.

"He was smiling," Nuala said softly. "He is in love."

----------------------------------------

Neither Titania nor Nuada spoke to one another short of asking and answering questions about the magical realm. Furthermore, the two found it difficult to look one another in the eye directly. The two were now fully aware that this was the last real care-free day they would have together. Nuada would be ascending to the throne after the eclipse. Titania thought to herself that she would be left in the forest relying on seasonal visits from the prince while he thought to himself of how best to take Titania with him to the Faerie court. The elf even gave the girl a concise history of his world.

"So you were born a little less than 4,000 years ago and then Oberon betrayed your father when you were the equivalent of like six?" she paraphrased. He nodded and continued walking towards the clearing they had visited the day before. "And then he was banished beyond the Black Forest so that the darker creatures would be contained. Let's see, there was a split between the 'bad' magical creatures and the good, but nothing like the great rift years later. Your mother was killed when you were the equivalent of eight when mankind was moving in on your territory in the forests. Your father took you and your sister across the sea, and that's when the great rift happened; some creatures followed you and your family and some stayed behind."

"I am certain that it was shortly after that when Oberon reclaimed a residency here," the prince added. "And there was always a doorway, magical use only of course, that led across the sea so that father could keep a good handle on the creatures in the old lands."

"You lived there until you were the equivalent of fifteen and that's when your father made the pact with mankind, ending the war, and you went off into exile," Titania repeated. Nuada frowned and glanced around as they came up to the wall of trees. The reminder of the choice he had made to spend years away from his family was a little painful to hear, but he did not regret it. "So, just how old are you? I mean, in human years."

He smirked and waved a hand in front of one of the oaks. It groaned and began to slide out of the way as the one beside it did the same, creating a natural doorway to the clearing. "I suppose I would be considered to be about . . ." he looked up and thought for a moment. " . . . 40 years by human reckoning." Titania froze and stared at him. He turned and smiled at her. "Is that frightening to you?"

"N-no. Why would it be?" she asked with a forced shrug. He stood perfectly still as she walked past him into the clearing.

"Well, you are quite young and I have been told by a most reliable source that I am, in human measure, getting close to being quite old," he replied. Titania frowned at him and shook her head. "If I were human I would be almost thrice your senior, yes?"

"Thrice? Just how old do you think I am!?" She shrieked in protest.

"I assumed you were . . . well . . ." he thought to himself and rubbed his head pensively. "Perhaps my arithmetic was off."

"Apparently," Titania muttered with a smirk. "I'm fifteen, remember?" She walked away from the shade of the oaks, taking in the clear, blue sky. "Besides," she folded her arms behind her and swirled around to look back at him with a playful smile. "Would you have kissed a twelve year-old like that?"

He stopped and stared at her in concern. "Do you think me that perverse?" he asked almost hurt at hearing her words.

She laughed and spun around once, stretching her arms out. "Lighten up, this is our last afternoon together for a while," she said. The two froze and remained silent at being audibly reminded of this. She cleared her throat and turned towards the rest of the open meadow. It went on to make it large enough to seem like they had entered a secret world in an alternate reality. "Come, on. I still have a few things to ask you." He sighed and followed after her slowly. Titania glanced back at him and grinned. "Cradle robber."

He growled and raced towards her. Titania cried out and turned, running towards the other side of the tree wall. The two laughed and raced after one another, stopping and trying to confuse the other every now and again. When the girl finally reached a section of the wall that was nowhere near the other end, she leaned against an oak and breathed heavily. The prince came to a halt a few feet away and breathed deeply, but not showing the same exhaustion. "I am impressed," he breathed. "I had thought you to be more fragile than that."

"I surprise a lot of people," she laughed and sat down, leaning against one of the oaks and staring up at him calmly. "Is this just a part of Bethmoora, or is this somewhere significant to you?"

"Bethmoora itself is significant to me, Titania," he replied taking a seat beside her and reaching a hand to the leather pouch at his side. He had donned the black clothing of a warrior for that day initially to express his disappointment and flex his royal power over Misses Badcrumble. The dark cloth accentuated the pale, sharp features of the elf in contrast to the pastel transitions of the nature around them. From the pouch he withdrew the book that Titania had left for him as a birthday gift. He looked over the cover as she scooted closer to him and did the same. "Lyrics of the Firebird," he read aloud. "And yet I have read nothing about the great Phoenix in the pages. I have read through it twice already and there is not word one about the creature."

"It's a metaphor for the author's experience in writing the poems," Titania explained. "It's an anthology, just a collection of poems. Do you have a favourite yet?"

"No," he said glancing over a few of the pages quickly. "I'm afraid I was never one for poetry unless it was read aloud."

"Let me," she said softly taking the book from his hands into hers. "Let's see; **The Charge of Man in Writing**;

_If only earth were parchment  
And my native tongue a quill  
That I should etch in leisure  
To amend man's wicked will._

_For the globe to man the vineyard  
And we the husbandmen  
Yet in our charge of luxury  
Have abandoned it again._"

The prince's eyes widened then narrowed at those words. His sister had accused him of abandoning the family and he had accused his family numerous times of abandoning the earth and all its creatures. What did man have to abandon? Surely this poet had not seen earth as a charge of men, it lay in the hands of the magical creatures. Men were an unfortunate complication.

"_Not simply soil is gifted here,  
Not merely sky or sea,  
Not only flora, fauna, yes,  
We have all humanity._

_From dust we came, to God belong,  
And yet still fail to feel,  
The wounded and the dying  
Do pray for words to heal._

_Instead of slothful keeper  
To a play-yard wrought with sin,  
I would be the author  
'Til joy be writ again._

_For in tilling soil or tending man,  
Is there yet a sweeter key,  
That unlocks wisdom in each psalm  
Than perfect poetry?_"

"Utter drivel," he said with disappointment. Titania frowned at him. "Are there any poets who do not drone on about their own pathetic humanity and the plights of others?"

"That was beautiful, that kind of language just isn't used much anymore," she stated firmly. "I loved it."

"I did not," he replied folding his arms. "Another, one that does not dwell on the world of men, if you please."

"Okay," she said looking through the pages. He must have been playing up the pretentious hatred of man for the sake of preparing to go before creatures that saw themselves as superior. She sighed. He hadn't spoken like this for days and it had been wonderful. "Aha, couplets; **Know it None**;

_Can mortals comprehend the sky  
Or calculate the sea?  
Where is wisdom in the nature realm,  
The fool says 'Here, ask me'_." The elf glanced at her in slight approval. "The wise do not go on about being wise, after all."

"I suppose you think me a fool as well, then" he replied with a smirk. Titania smiled back and raised one brow. This was the universal signal to him that she was of the age to have grasped the female intellect enough to understand that all males should be seen as fools, pitied, and therefore married quickly. He leaned back against the oak and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Another."

"Okay, **Tender Warning**;  
_You cannot change what something is  
If loving it has failed.  
For love's the metamorphosis  
Through which good hearts prevail_." She read aloud. She smiled and glanced toward the elf, moving her eyes only. Nuada's expression fell somewhat and he shifted uncomfortably. Titania smiled more brightly and turned the page. She thought for a moment. The prince had read through this book twice he had said. She closed the cover and sighed, remembering one of her own favourite selections not from the book.

"_How do I love thee? Let me count the ways;  
I love the to the depth and breadth and height  
My soul can reach when feeling out of sight,  
For the ends of Being and Ideal Grace.  
I love to the level of every day's,  
Most quiet need, by sun, and candle-light.  
I love thee freely, as_ . . ." she trailed off and thought for a moment. Was it right to change the words just to satisfy the prince's disdain. She shook her head. Surely with the pleasantries of these words, with the continued loving conversation of humans, he would grow weary of hatred and abandon it once and for all. " _. . . as men strive for Right. I love thee purely, as men turn from praise_."

Nuada listened, recognizing the quotation. Even in resigned exclusion from the outside world, even in refusing to acknowledge any good done by man, several old books and odd tomes had found their way into the Troll Market. Some of the more popular to sell had been works of poetry, but the manuals for disgusting human machinery pleased the trolls and ogres more. The prince had acquired no less than fifty books dating back to 1785. He sighed and smiled as the girl continued with the poem, reading not line by line, but thought by thought as the author had intended. Divisions in poems were not always meant to be as emphasized as the breaths that distinguished a punctuation between purpose and prose. He felt the nagging need to tell her that he intended to bring her with him growing more powerful by the minute. He fought the urge to speak it aloud, replacing it by taking control of the moment and ending the lyrics himself. _"- I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life!- and, if God choose_," He sat upright and spoke clearly to her in the most tender tone possible. "_I shall but love thee better after death_." Titania looked back at him, stunned. She had never been so taken by another creature and she hadn't the practice of other girls her age in replying to romantic advances. She looked away and breathed deeply. He thought for a moment of how to make this more comfortable. There were precious few moments left until the eclipse. As much as it would upset her mother, the girl had no intention of returning home before the moon's rising. "That was not in the book; not nearly the same poet."

"No," Titania replied handing him the book. "I didn't think you'd like any of the others right now. They're all a little sappy."

"I'm not sure I understand that phrase," he said glancing behind them into the more natural woods. He smirked and reached out one hand, whistling four times in a tone that seemed unreal. Titania straightened herself and watched. One of the knots in the oak-bark behind them began to quiver. A tiny creature suddenly emerged from beneath the surface and made a sound very similar to a kitten's mew. Titania jumped slightly at the sight of it. It spread iridescent wings and fluttered into the prince's hand. The creature appeared to be a very small version of a purplish lion cub with silver frosting its fur on its haunches and down its back to its tail. It's eyes were enormous and crystal blue with flecks of lighter violets and lavendars that made Titania think of Italian glass. "I was wondering what it would take to get you to come out for a moment," he said to the creature. It mewed back at him before turning to Titania. "They aren't fond of venturing out before snows, but they can be seen once cold settles over the land."

"What are they?" she asked as she noticed about five more fluttering towards them. She watched one land on her shoulder, folding its paws and mewing as it looked into her eyes.

"They are sugar plum faeries," he replied. Titania looked at him in disbelief. "Named by humans, of course, I doubt you would enjoy their name among my kind."

"Is it a bad name?" she asked watching as the creatures suddenly flew back into the trees. "They seem very sweet."

"You say that now," he said with a wicked grin. "But when they come out at night, they tend to something quite sinister."

"Oh?" Titania replied, almost afraid of the explanation. Nuada motioned for her to rise and follow him. The two walked towards the stream, watching the afternoon growing dark with the onset of dusk.

"They consume the energies of dreams, pleasant dreams," he replied. "They are nightmares."

"Why does everything that looks so wonderful in your realm end up being something horrid?" she asked sadly. The prince lifted one brow indignantly. "Well, you know, the faeries and all."

"Faeries are spirits of the elements. The ones that look like rough formations of nature are quite kind," he explained. "The ones that need to make themselves look appealing, especially to humans, are usually the most dangerous."

"So what does that say about you?" she asked as she sat down in the open field. Nuada turned and folded his arms. "You, that is, some would argue that you look appealing. Elves are, by legend, beautiful creatures, aren't they?"

He smiled and sat down beside her. "Perhaps it is only your opinion that sees me as appealing, not something human," he replied. Titania stared back in confusion. One of the sugar plum nightmares fluttered towards him once more and perched on his shoulder. Titania watched as the prince carefully took it in his hand and softly spoke to it. She smiled and gazed calmly at the sight of the creature sitting peacefully in the elf's hand, purring contentedly. It chortled and shook its head before fluttering away. The two laughed and watched as the other faeries, who had apparently been watching not far away, began doing the same, all flying off towards another set of flowers. Nuada laid back, folding his arms behind his head as he gazed up at the gauzy few strands of clouds. "I believe I shall make visits more regular after tonight. Father never visited the forest as often as he could have, should have, in fact. Mother emphasized its importance, of course, but he really should have looked to its care more fervently," he sighed. "I shall do better. I shall be in Bethmoora no less than once a month."

"A month?" Titania exclaimed putting both hands on her hips in indignation. "I'll barely ever see you! A week, make it a week."

The prince grinned and closed his eyes. "Be reasonable, Titania, you will see me often enough," he replied as he felt a serenity falling over him. The girl frowned. "The moon is a perfect way to chart one's schedule, after all."

Titania reached down and quickly grabbed the edge of the prince's red sash, pulling it free of his waist. The elf stirred and sat up a little, frowning at the girl as she held his sash aloft. "A week."

"Titania . . ." he said in a low tone.

"A week, make it a week," she continued. The elf frowned and moved forward, reaching firmly for the silk and crest. Titania smiled and stood, backing away from him as she held the sash away. "Once a week, I want to hear you say it."

"Titania that is my family's mark. Give it back," he commanded as he stood upright and held out one hand. "Now."

"Not until you promise that I will see you once a week," she said holding the sash behind her and staring at him proudly. "Say it."

"Titania," he warned as he frowned more fully and began advancing towards her. The girl smiled and turned, darting towards the edge of the forest through the meadow. The cool grass was growing warm in the sunlight as she raced across barefoot. It was marvelous, like being a small girl again, to run so freely and warmly. The elf followed, running as quickly. Titania had not noticed the remnants of dew still clinging to the grass and was not cautious enough to keep herself from slipping and tumbling forward. She gasped and felt herself freeze instinctively as she lay on the ground. The elf knelt and seized her by the leg as she scrambled to get back to her feet and continue the game. "Enough of this, Titania, give it back."

"I want to see you once a week," she grunted as she rolled onto her back and sat up, pulling herself firmly away from him. The prince kept a grip on her ankle and, pulled her to him; staring at her harshly. She frowned, sensing that he was not playing. She sighed and handed him the sash with resignation. "That won't change."

"Indeed," he said as he tied the sash around his waist once more. He breathed deeply and examined her expression. "Neither will my decision. Bethmoora is only a small portion of the realms I must tend to. The best portion, but not the only."

"It's the only portion with me in it," she muttered sadly. "I guess I really won't be seeing you as often anymore."

"Perhaps," he said as a smile replaced the disappointed glare. Titania did not look back up at him as he placed a hand over her ankle once again, but with kindness in the grip. "But I do not think Bethmoora will always be your home."

"How can you say that?" Titania exclaimed in shock. "I love this forest! I couldn't leave it behind."

"And what of your future, girl? What will you do when you've grown? But then how could you be a diplomat to these creatures without staying in the forest alone?" he asked, smiling.

"A diplomat?" she asked in confusion. A smile crossed her face as well. "Is that an offer?"

"I will need someone that the creatures trust already," he continued. She smiled excitedly. "I simply feel a little apprehensive giving such a position to a _thief_." At the last word, the elf tickled her ankle where the gnome curse had been. Titania laughed and tried to pull her ankle free. "I should always be worried about what would go missing in your wake."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she laughed. "Please, stop!"

"Promise me you will always be here when I call for you," he ordered, not at all ceasing from the gentle torture he was executing. Titania finally found the strength and presence to place her hand over his and firmly keep his fingers from moving. She gazed up into his eyes, seeing the genuine request in his amber orbs. "You will be there, won't you?"

"Of course I will," she said softly. The two smiled and continued to stare at one another in silence. Titania, at the moment, would have accepted the prince's offer to accompany him without question. The elf still worried about a terrified or angered reaction from the girl with such an independent streak and after having been among humans for so many years. Still, he needed to ask her before the journey to the entrance began. She sighed and looked up, frowning at the sight of twilight beginning to descend. "It's almost time, your highness." Nuada reached behind him to another pouch at his belt. "Did you bring the map and the compass?"

"I did," he replied, pulling both the empty parchment and the silver oddment from the pouch and holding them in front of himself. Titania looked over the compass carefully. "I am not really sure of how this is supposed to work."

"In The Hobbit, moonlight was held behind a map in order to read it. Maybe we hold the compass up to concentrate the moonlight and then hold the map in front of it," she offered. He smirked. "If that doesn't work, we could always ask for Puck's advice. I'm not sure why he isn't here."

"I asked him to wait at the dwelling for me, to give me some time," the elf said softly.

"Time for what?" Titania asked as the prince stood. He shook his head, motioning for the girl to forget his words. She frowned and stood, following as he began to walk slowly towards a hill that was forming in the centre of the meadow. She stared at it, not moving forward as the ground rose. "What's happening!?"

"Titania, this is not a section of the forest alone," he explained turning back to her for a second. "This is a mirrored portion of my world to yours. They exist side by side ordinarily and there are a few places like this one and the market that allow for easier entrance and enjoyment even by humans. It's not a gateway, mind you, but it is rather like an open room."

"I don't understand," she said starting to follow after him once again, still glancing at the ground in concern.

"Not yet," he said with a smile. The sky began to grow more dark by the second as the two reached the top of the hill. Titania watched in amazement as the moon's surface glowed brightly. The elf must have chosen this place because he could keep them from truly noticing the passage of time. It had taken quite a while to reach the clearing and it had stayed bright and clear for much longer than it should have. The sky ebbed into midnight, a sheen of onyx glistening overhead. A moment later, a dark orb began moving over it. She gasped and smiled. "I have not seen this in centuries."

"Quick! The map and the compass!" she exclaimed. Nuada reached down and hurriedly held the compass aloft and tossed the parchment to Titania. She fumbled with it, unrolling it as fast as she could. "I guess, the compass actually captures the light, then."

"Hurry, come here and hold the map," he instructed. Titania felt her heart leap as the compass began to hum and glow. The silver shone white as a stream of energy touched the surface of the parchment in delicate strands. The strands of light danced over the surface of the paper, etching in silvery ink a message and a picture. Titania could not read the ancient Gaelic, but she could clearly see the picture that was forming on the scroll. Nuada stared in amazement as the message became clear. "The circle of stars holds the start, the tomb of their study the end. The path to the Faerie Ring opens when calling up fire as friend. Light then the top of each marker with flame thrown from mortal command, then follow the deathless defenders and enter the Danu's last land."

"Stonehenge," Titania whispered as she stared down at the picture. "That's where the circle of stars must be! And . . . Newgrange! The Faerie Court must be beneath Newgrange! Does that sound familiar?"

"Those names are human," he said glancing over the map in awe. "But these formations, I believe I remember them. I can complete the rest of what is required once there."

"I guess this means you've found your way home," Titania said softly. Nuada looked over the edge of the map into nothing and frowned. He breathed deeply. It was now or never, he needed to tell her of her rightful place.

"Titania," he began. "I want you to . . ."

A rush of wind and a shrill scream cut the prince's words short. The elf instinctively took hold of Titania and held her to him. Titania groaned and clung to him as the air grew bitter cold, whipping around them like a snowless blizzard. The prince tried to locate with more than his peripheral senses where this phenomenon was coming from. The screams became cold laughter as the wind slowed and a figure floated to the ground past the two. Nuada tensed at the sight of a dark figure in bone armour staring cruelly at him. He harshly pushed Titania behind him and reached for the spear he had kept at its smallest size behind him.

"Again we are forced to face one another, your highness," Aradia cackled. "I believe I shall show you greater mercy this night. Your death will be most satisfying for my king."

"Then Oberon will remain gravely disappointed," Nuada countered, willing the spear to extend.

"Weapons!" Aradia clapped her hands excitedly, leaping up and down like a toddler presented with a treat. She smiled wickedly and reached to her side, withdrawing from her cloak the orb that Oberon had given her. She grinned and held it out for the prince to see clearly. "I'm afraid I didn't bring anything else!"

Nuada growled, recognizing the dark magic in the orb. He would have to be swift and efficient now more than ever. Orbs that used dark faerie magic could manipulate other magical beings often into enchantments more powerful than those placed on mortals. Oberon wanted him dead, but in presenting this orb perhaps the dark king wanted something more sinister from him first. He leapt forward, aiming to strike the sphere with the blade before any damage could be done. Aradia shrieked and leapt aside, breathing happily as yet another battle began.


	29. Aradia's Fall and Jareth's Rise

_(((I hope everyone is enjoying the Feast of Beltaine until Thursday. Ah, Beltaine, the festival of fire. There are 10 tracks on the soundtrack I created to write this story to which means there will be 10 more chapters. Read on, my friends!))))_

**Chapter 29**

Aradia snarled as she raised her arm in readiness to strike the prince. She didn't intend to do any mortal harm to him, she simply wished to catch him off guard enough to apply the orb to Titania. Once the girl was under Oberon's control, she would be able to destroy the elf without weaponry whatsoever. Human strength, when unleashed without any intrinsic limitations could tear apart a solid stone. An elf, whether they had fulfilled their purpose or not, could not be reborn after having been killed by a mortal. She flew forward at the prince and swiped harshly at him with the back of her arm. Nuada raised the spear and shouted as he thrust the sharp spear's end towards her chest, catching the edge of her arm with the blade. Aradia screamed and landed several feet away, clutching her arm. The elf smiled triumphantly as the faerie looked down sadly at the wound. Titania gasped and felt her nerves fizzling with anxiety as Nuada moved slowly towards the faerie, trying to keep a safe distance while sizing up how best to next attack her.

"Fiddlesticks! You cut me!" the wicked sprite hissed as she pulled her arm to her mouth. The girl and the elf watched in horror as Aradia slowly licked her arm clean of the golden blood and purred happily. Nuada winced in disgust and lifted the spear once more. Aradia chuckled. "I wonder how your blood will taste."

Nuada grasped the spear in both hands and lunged the silver tip at her, aiming to pierce her heart. Aradia leapt to the side and smiled. She extended the dark fingernails on one of her dark hands as claws and swiped at the prince's face. Nuada felt a sharp sting as four long, thin marks were left on his cheek. He growled and hit the side of Aradia's face with the hilt. She grunted and stumbled backwards a pace as Nuada twirled the spear around gracefully, holding it behind him and holding a hand out towards her menacingly. Aradia steadied herself, holding the bloodied claws in front of her face as a smile crossed her lips. Nuada narrowed his eyes and watched as the faerie brought the hand to her mouth and softly licked the tip of each nail, snarling.

"Pity," she sighed. "Weak and far too bitter."

"You sampled blood, irrelevant to a warrior by comparison to the heart," the elf countered. He swept the spear into both hands once more and began slicing into the air as he hurried towards her. Aradia shrieked happily and allowed herself to fall to the ground as the elf raced to her. His focus was on her position and there was enough of it to distract from her plan. She pushed herself forward, sliding along the grass under the prince and snapping back to standing immediately behind him. As he turned, the back of Aradia's hand slammed into his jaw with unusual force. He reeled for a moment, growling.

"Pathetic, it must be the influence of trolls," Aradia said shaking her head. She turned to Titania and smiled. "It's a shame, really. This will be far easier than I thought." The faerie raised the dark orb and scowled at the human girl. Titania froze and stared in awe at the onyx crystal. "Now, I can do what should have been done millennia ago." Nuada stood and gripped the spear more tightly. "The line of men of the Bethmoora ends once and for all with a _little girl_ and a handsome prince." She lowered her hand, allowing the orb to float in mid-air as she turned and smirked at the elf. "Well, with a little girl anyway."

As Nuada readied to drive the end of the blade into Aradia's chest, he suddenly noticed the strange glow forming in Titania's eyes. She was enchanted by the orb. He frowned. What did Oberon want with her? Suddenly, the end of a dark grey blade appeared through Aradia's midsection. A spray of gold blood hit the prince as the blade was withdrawn. Aradia looked down at the enormous wound and wailed. With her cry, the orb quivered and shrank into nothing. Nuada knew too well that it had probably not disappeared, but had instead been transported back to Oberon to give an account of why Aradia had failed.

She sank to her knees slowly, revealing a creature standing beside her that was nearly as tall as Titania, with spindly limbs and pale green skin. His face could have been considered as human as Nuada's, but the horns on his head and his beady red eyes made him appear far more monstrous. His clothing was of well-aged leather, but was in similar style to the prince's as well, though not nearly as well constructed or magnificent. The creature did have substantial jewelry and natural oddments dangling from his neck, ears, wrists, and horns. He turned and smiled at Nuada as the prince's eyes narrowed with familiarity. He dashed back to standing a few feet in front of Titania as the creature began walking slowly towards them, dropping the long, wicked, stone blade he had used to impale the faerie.

Titania and Nuada watched in amazement as the opulent creature continued approaching. He appeared to have been fashioned of hard stone, moss, bone (not his own) and flesh. He smiled towards Nuada and bowed his head for a moment in reverence.

"My prince," the creature said with a smile flashing pointed opal teeth. "I am glad I arrived when I did, though it was not nearly the display I had expected to come upon. You seem distracted, off your timing."

"Timing is essential to _goblins_, skill to elves," Nuada replied with clear anger in his voice. "I remember that well, Jareth."

Titania gasped as the creature laughed. "So you do remember your father's dealings in these lands. I had hoped you wouldn't easily forget." Jareth smiled and gestured one hand to Nuada kindly. "I have also heard of your dealings with my own people across the sea, your mercy and kindness towards them. We all but disappeared from the emearald lands and the rest in the darker regions have had a time escaping Oberon's servitude. That you let so many of my kind into your service without cruelty was most admirable. It touched my heart."

"That must have hurt," Nuada quipped back. Jareth sighed and shook his head.

"I assure you, your highness, that I do not intend to serve Oberon. No goblin would readily serve someone so poorly coordinated alone," the goblin lord replied. "Surely you do not think us without pride."

"Why have you come, Jareth?" the elf asked firmly, not lowering the spear.

"I came to stop Aradia, of course, and warn you that Oberon waits at the entrance of the Faerie Court and has many servants waiting at the entrance to the ring," Jareth replied with a bow. As he lifted his head to look the prince in the eyes, a solemn glare crossed his features. "He plans to awaken the deathless few."

"Impossible!" Nuada laughed with spite. Jareth frowned at him, lifting one brow to emphasize the lack of jesting. "The only way to wield the iron cauldron's power is with the aid of a demon and it must be awakened by a forest child, an heir to the . . ." Nuada trailed off and turned to look behind him at Titania. The girl frowned and took a step backwards. "Bethmoora was your family's surname once, that is why you were drawn to the forest," he whispered. "Wasn't it?"

"Mom's family, her mother's last name," Titania replied softly as several thoughts and realizations began to flood her mind. She shook her head as Nuada closed his eyes and grunted in frustration. She lifted her hands defensively. "But that doesn't mean that I'm anything special."

"On the contrary," Jareth interjected as he moved forward. Nuada glared at the goblin as he reached for the girl. "That is the other reason I came."

"Stay your hand from her, Jareth, or die," Nuada hissed. The goblin froze and slowly faced the elf with a smirk. "Do not touch her."

"Come, now; you can't expect to best me? Oberon will release the last portion of my people from his service if I retrieve her and then we will be free to follow you. Besides, the demon prince is nowhere to be found," Jareth replied. "He went missing years ago."

"Anung un Rama is not within Oberon's grasp, but he does know of him and where he is," Nuada said sadly. He frowned. "It was why the gnome king chose memory glass. Why were my senses so marred that day!?"

"Perhaps it was simply being so unused to combat after reawakening," Jareth offered. He turned his gaze towards Titania and gave her a wicked grin. "Then again, you did have a lovely distraction." Jareth suddenly felt the point of Nuada's spear at the base of his neck. He sighed. "Is it really worth being so wounded before journeying towards the entrance, your highness, to defend this little girl?"

"I would ask you the same question, Jareth, but my wish is not for you to go on to the entrance. Leave this place and gather the rest of the free goblins left in Europe. We will rally forces quickly against Oberon and then I will enter the court. We must make haste," the prince said firmly. Jareth smiled in amusement and turned, allowing the point of the spear to touch his neck. "Now go."

"You should not give me orders, yet, Nuada," Jareth said with a wry smile. Nuada glared at him hatefully, realizing the severity of the situation that he now found both himself and Titania in. "You may have removed the king, but you do not yet . . ."

Nuada shouted angrily and thrust the hilt of the spear into Jareth's chest so cruelly that even Titania cried and leapt back. Jareth fell to the ground, coughing and struggling to stand. The elf quickly held the spear's point firmly to the goblin's neck and stood with one foot firmly over his chest. Jareth growled and looked up at the elf in disappointment. He spoke angrily in the Gaelic tongue of the court, now displaying his rightful born power more fully. "I have given you a task, Jareth," he said. "If you are loyal you will obey immediately, but if you are defiant," here the elf pressed the spear's edge into the goblin's neck so firmly that a trickle of blood began to stream over its silver edging, "I will have no choice but to destroy you."

"I am not entirely your servant yet, prince," Jareth rasped in reply, also speaking the tongue of old. Nuada continued to cut a small wound in the creature's neck. Jareth growled. "Oberon has strength, Silverlance. Do you remember what he did to your father's realm?"

"Do you remember my oath at my father's negotiation with man?" Nuada spat back.

Jareth grinned and chuckled. "What does your desire to break the truce with and destroy humanity have to do with a battle against the dark faeries?"

"I vowed to undo the foolishness of my father, Jareth. He should not have banished Oberon or allowed him to return and he certainly should not have suffered such freedoms to be given to selfish mortals," Nuada said as he leaned forward. "I am willing to do what none others of my kind, of our kind, are willing to accomplish. I have no fear of Oberon." Jareth froze, staring up at the prince with sudden apprehension. "Now, do you plan to serve me?"

"Yes," Jareth said glancing to his side in slight anxiety. "But you are not king yet."

"I will not be king," the prince replied as he lifted the tip of the spear and moved it along the goblin's flesh traveling up his jaw-line to his cheek. "And your loyalty must begin at once." Nuada growled and swiftly used the tip of his spear to cut a set of two small lines on each of the goblin lord's cheeks right beside his nose, leaving four tiny marks signifying an ancient rank and service. Jareth stared at the prince in shock as Nuada withdrew the spear and stepped back. "Rise. You serve me, and me alone." Jareth nodded slowly, continuing to stare at the prince in something that was becoming admiration. Nuada had left the continent as a whimpering little boy who had lost his mother. Jareth had heard of the elf's rise to a powerful warrior, but he had not truly believed that the whelp could have become as ruthless as he was accused of being. "Gather the free creatures of your kind and wait for us at the entrance by the Stonehenge."

"Yes,_** sire**_," Jareth said slowly and with a tone of surprise. "How long will you be away? Where will you go?"

"Back to the Troll Market, there is need of recruiting," the prince replied. He glanced towards Titania and frowned. "And I must leave a friend in the care of my people. I will return within a fort-night."

"Nuada, you cannot . . ."

"I believe you have your orders," Nuada interrupted as he turned back to the goblin sternly. "You are captain of my armies, now. Go and do not fail; it would be most unpleasant to face me crowned _and scorned_." Jareth nodded and stood, quickly fleeing the scene after a brief bow. Nuada watched the goblin disappear into the darkened night. He frowned. It was time to be a warrior once again. He would have to put aside love for the time being, at least until Titania was safe with the last few elves. Titania . . . He turned back to her, breathing heavily. He reached out one hand towards her, noticing her uneasy stance. She stared back in slight fear, clasping her hands in front of her and frowning. "Come, Titania, we must go now."

"To the Faerie Ring?" she asked softly. He shook his head and walked to her. Titania instinctively took a step backwards as he firmly grasped her hand and turned away, leading them back away from the hill. "Wait, where are we going?!"

"Across the sea," he replied as he glanced back up at the sky. "You are not safe here and I am in need of greater numbers in my forces." Titania shivered at the prince's words. Things were going back to the dark portrayal of a savage world she had briefly been exposed to when the prince had first met her. She wanted to ask more questions, but the display between the goblin and the elf had made her wary of him once more. He pulled her hand firmly and stopped, bringing her in front of him. The two stared at one another for a moment in silence, the girl's eyes filled with surface fear and tension while the elf's were filled with fear hidden behind anger and concern. He reached out and softly moved a strand of her dark hair away from her face. "I will not enter the court while you are in danger."

"Am I really that significant?" she stammered.

He smiled and leaned forward, softly kissing her forehead before turning back to their path into the forest. They would need to take Puck with them and Titania would need to be better equipped to travel. It would mean a short detour, but they could manage it if both were swift. He gazed into her eyes thinking about her question with renewed sincerity. "Yes," the elf replied softly. He glanced behind him with a slight grin. It was wonderful to have this small extension in asking her to accompany him and perhaps she would be freed from her mortal coil by the end of all of this. Still, it would not be right to let her die just to ensure rebirth. He had to protect her, that did feel right. At least if he was going to be in danger, it was for a good cause. "And not at all what you seem on the surface."

---------------------------------------

Manning walked swiftly back to Welf's office to give a report of the disturbance from Abe and Nuala's room. The she-elf's carrying on had indeed spread throughout the entire facility quite early on and Manning had been told by his partner to report back to him about the problem as soon as it was resolved. Manning had been so encumbered with threats of removal and the disappointments of recent failures that he hadn't the presence of mind or fortitude to say no to someone that should have been an equal. Welf, of course, was not in his office. An operative told him to check with the third floor medical lab. Manning almost felt it would be worth the verbal, and possible paper, scalding that would ensue for him to not report to the man. He shuddered, going over hundreds of horrible things he might walk in on Welf doing to the captive creatures that the bureau housed. The doors to the lab hissed open, revealing Welf standing and glancing over a few papers on a clip board with smug satisfaction.

"Agent Welf," Manning said as he breathed deeply. Welf turned and raised a brow expectantly. "The princess was having a . . . a . . . a night terror or something like it. The link she has had with her twin is still an issue for her."

"Her twin," Welf said looking back at the papers. "Yes, I remember the report filed about the Blackwood's Auction incident and the elf that was behind it. That was her twin, wasn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Manning replied. He breathed deeply and rubbed his shoulder. "But he has yet to have been located and doesn't seem to be causing any further trouble for the moment."

"Current trouble isn't necessarily all that we deal with, Agent Manning," Welf replied with a smile. "He was extremely violent and held a genocidal belief about destroying all humans."

"It had to do with some extremist environmentalist views, sir," Manning added as a strange groaning and loud roaring began to come from the walls behind them. Manning frowned and glanced at the walls, recognizing the sound somewhat. "He believed it was the only way to preserve the planet or something like that."

"Fascinating," Welf muttered as he flipped through the papers mindlessly. It was apparent to Manning that the papers were there to simply be something to take eye contact away from his partner. "Thank you for the update, Agent Manning. Please inform me should the elf need any psychiatric assistance. We wouldn't want any other violent beings wandering around the facility."

"Yes, sir," Manning replied, still glancing anxiously at the walls as the sounds of suffering grew louder. "Uh, sir, is there something going on that I should be aware of?"

"Oh that? I'm just making sure that the troll you retrieved has comparable tolerance to extreme temperatures should we be in need of relocating him," Welf replied with a casual wave. Manning shook his head and hurried to the door. "Oh, and, Dr. Manning," he continued. Manning froze, but did not turn as the cruel operative gave another order. "Inform me should the prince's location become a topic of conversation, all details if you please."

Manning nodded and left the room, popping three more tablets into his mouth and leaning against the hall facing. This was not going to get better any time soon. Part of him actually wanted Jenna Finkelstein to return immediately and be a more pronounced opposition to Welf. At least then the heat would be on something else.

Welf smirked at the sounds still emitting from the room where Wink was being kept. The room had been equipped with the ability to sustain a great deal of heat and cold to keep creatures that required either one. Welf was currently toying with the idea of sending the creature on to the facility in Siberia that he had been forced to endure. In fact, a greater and crueler portion of him wanted the entire main facility relocated to the wasteland. There were paranormal creatures there, of course, but of a far more sinister nature. A female medical assistant suddenly approached him with an envelope of documents. He turned and held out one hand to accept them.

"Anything truly interesting to tell me before I read this?" he asked with a grin. She breathed deeply, a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

"The elf has similar formed elements to our own and a little less plasma, but the anomaly that really surprised us were what we found in the leukocytes when we activated the humoral immunity mechanism." She tapped the edge of the documents and looked up at him. "What we thought to initially be macrophages primed for fighting infection were actually strange cells formed to combat free-radicals."

"Free radicals?" he asked in amusement. "But wouldn't that mean that . . .?"

"Yes, sir," she continued. Welf looked into the operative's eyes with great excitement. "She almost has an immunity to aging."

"Perfect," Welf laughed softly. He opened the envelope and withdrew the results of the blood analysis. "The fountain of youth."


	30. Departure for the Market

**Chapter 30**

Nuada had instructed Titania to hurry home, prepare to leave, and wait for him to arrive within a half an hour. The girl had raced ahead of him back to the mansion while the prince returned to the tree house and called for Puck. The pwca peeked out from the doorway and stared down at elf expectantly.

"Are we going home now, sire?" Puck asked. Nuada frowned and centered himself.

"Eventually, my friend. For the moment we are in need of greater numbers to assist us in standing against Oberon as we enter the court," he explained. Puck's ears flattened against his head in fear. Nuada raised one hand to him. "Do not be too frightened, we have a great deal of time and allies here. Gather the rest of my effects and come down. We will collect Titania and leave at once."

"But, sire," Puck sputtered. "Titania is . . ."

"Almost ready by now, hurry my friend," Nuada interjected firmly. The rabbit groaned and slipped back into the tree-house and then up the ladder. He laid one of the blankets on the floor, placed the prince's clothing and three of the books he had claimed right to inside, then folded the blanket around it all and tied it with cord he had scavenged long ago from the mansion. He placed the bundle over his back and raced back down the ladder towards the stairs. He breathed deeply. Things were becoming more dangerous for himself and the girl by the minute. Hopefully the elf's fondness of her would keep her safe. Puck hopped down the stairs quickly, bowing and nodding to the prince. Nuada smiled and turned in the direction of the mansion. As the two continued into the forest, they were met with a peculiar sight. A hedgehog raised on its haunches standing in front of a long, dark object. Nuada froze as Puck stared in disbelief at the creature.

"Hullo, your majesty," the old, worn voice of the hedgehog said. Nuada nodded to it as it smiled brightly. "I know you haven't much time, but the lady Ceridwen sends this for you and says to keep a better watch on it. It was never meant for demons."

Nuada smiled brightly as he began to recognize the object in front of the hedgehog. It reached down and began scooting it towards the prince. "My sword," he whispered. He reached down and clutched it tightly, raising it into the air and allowing the waxing moonlight to glimmer across the silver edging. "It is as I left it."

"Lost it, you mean," the hedgehog laughed. The prince glanced down at the creature in disapproval. The hedgehog cleared its throat and shook its spiny head as he turned back to the rest of the forest. "Gavin the hedgehog, your highness, servant of the Crone Ceridwen." The prince nodded again and waved a hand to the creature. "She bids you hurry both to do what you will across the sea, which has her confused, and to come to the court. We are most anxious for your return, sire. Most anxious for the fall of Oberon."

"Tell your mistress I will return within a fortnight," Nuada said as he turned and began walking swiftly into the forest once more, placing the sword in its proper place on his back beside his spear. It felt marvelous to have the coupled weights hanging from his shoulders again and to feel their firm slap against him with ever step forward. The prince beamed and glanced down at Puck as they hurried through the trees. "Jareth has risen to lead my armies. You have risen to lead as my advisor. Things are falling into place, Puck. We must simply act cautiously and swiftly now."

"Of course, sire, but what about Titania?" The rabbit heaved the bundle over the other shoulder and shifted it upward. "She cannot stay with us for long. She has lessons, you know. Her mother would be most distressed to find her missing."

"Her mother," Nuada said softly. He rubbed the hilt of his sheathed blade pensively. "That should be easily handled."

Puck froze. "Oh, sire, no. No! You mustn't! You simply cannot!" he shrieked in horror. Nuada turned to him and raised one brow inquisitively. "You cannot kill her mother!"

"For heaven's sake, you silly creature, I was not going to kill her mother!" the prince cried defensively. Puck lowered his head and frowned. Nuada growled and turned away. "The next person to accuse me of such an atrocity as senseless murder will be thoroughly beaten."

"Yes, sire," Puck sighed and began hopping hurriedly ahead of the prince as they moved towards the girl's dwelling. Puck shuddered at the thought of the prince entering the dwelling while Nadia was present. Firstly, the woman's reaction to this being having appeared and then being told that this was the object of her daughter's affection was going to be uneasy enough. Added to that would be the fact that Nuada would then be taking Titania away from her home and would probably not do it gently in her mother's eyes. "Sire, perhaps you should try to wait until Titania is alone to retrieve her."

"Nonsense," the prince replied as they moved all the quicker through the trees and came to the edge of the forest. "The girl's mother will be frantic if it is not explained that her daughter is in mortal danger here and must be removed."

"Oh, your highness, you haven't ever understood the female mind," Puck said sadly. He clutched the bundle more tightly as they moved through the darkness and onto the grounds. The pwca's mouth went dry as he tried to keep from trembling. The elf marched proudly up to the door and took the glass handle firmly. Puck frowned and looked away as he used all his strength to force the door open and entered. "This will not end well."

--------------------------------

"Titania Rhiannon Manning! You stop what you are doing right this minute and explain to me why you were out well past midnight and did not speak to me when I have been speaking quite emphatically to you these past twenty-five minutes!" Nadia exclaimed, her voice raising to a higher pitch with agitation. "Explain yourself and open this door right now!"

The door to Titania's room opened slowly, revealing the girl clothed in warmer garb than before and sporting a large overnight bag. Nadia gasped and placed a hand dramatically on her chest. Titania frowned and reached out to the woman, pulling her into an impromptu embrace. She had no idea what would transpire before she could see her mother again or what the end result of aiding Nuada would be. She breathed deeply, going over once more all the things she had gathered to take with her. Among them had been the book she had taken from her father's office. She could return it if they were headed for the Troll Market. Surely Nuada wouldn't object to her going and seeing her father. Perhaps he would allow himself the chance to ask for Red's help. A demon was needed, after all.

"I have to go, mom," Titania whispered. Nadia froze, her eyes widening in horror at the girl's words and strange behaviour. Titania pulled away and looked at her mother with tears in her eyes. "I wish it had been easier. It should have been easier, but he isn't going to . . ."

"Wait a moment, who isn't going to what?" Nadia exclaimed with furious waves of either hand. "Just what is going on, Titania?"

"Ah, I see you are ready to depart," Nuada announced from several feet behind them. Nadia shrieked in horror, pulling Titania to her. The girl frowned and gently pulled free of her mother as she nodded to the prince. "We must make haste. I know that Oberon will likely send more after you."

"What on earth?!" Nadia cried. Titania walked slowly towards the elf and glanced back at her mother.

"Mom, this is my friend, the one I told you about yesterday," she said softly.

"Indeed!" the woman gasped. "He is . . . is . . ."

"I am Prince Nuada Silverlance, the lord of the Nightlands and leader of its peoples," he replied with a bow. "I am afraid that Titania has found herself drawn into the nefarious schemes of Oberon, my opposition to the throne. She will be quite safe with me, I assure you."

"We're only going to be gone a little while," Titania added as Nadia began to turn nearly as pale as the prince save for her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed at the elf. The girl frowned and tried to think of something more comforting and rational to say to her mother. Most words and phrases seemed either a full lie or rather useless at this juncture. "I'll be back."

"You are not going anywhere," Nadia said quivering as she moved towards the two. Her gaze was fixed on the elf with a combination of natural mortal fear and anger. She reached her hand for her daughter's shoulder. "You stay right where you are, whoever you are." Nuada stared at the woman in confusion. She pulled Titania towards her room and began to inch her way in, hoping to shut the door and lock them safely inside before this would-be-criminal made off with her child. Titania gently placed a hand on her mother's shoulder, stopping them and then stepping to the side. Nadia grunted and grasped her daughter by both shoulders, now forcing her to move as she directed. "Stay beside me, dear. MAGNUS!"

Nuada frowned and reached behind him, withdrawing his sword. Nadia gasped. "Madam, I cannot stress enough that every moment we hesitate, Titania is in grave danger," the prince continued as he moved towards them. "Come, Titania."

"I said _**stay where you are**_!" Nadia shrieked all the louder. Having never been exposed to fantasy, never remaining open to the idea of the strange, Nuada was more than frightening to the woman. He growled as she pulled Titania to stand beside her and gripped her firmly. "**MAGNUS**! Call the police, **NOW**!"

"You seem rather insistent on the use of force," he said softly. Nadia breathed heavily, panic forming on her delicate features. Nuada recognized the trembling breaths and racing human heartbeat the woman was exhibiting. He held the sword firmly in one hand and held out the other towards the two. "Titania, please come before things are beyond my control."

Nadia let out a tiny cry at the elf's words as Titania wrenched free of her mother and hurried to the prince's side. She turned back to her mother who fell against the door, grasping her chest and mouth simultaneously. "Titania, what are you doing!?" she cried.

"I can't explain," Titania said in frustration. It would have been easier to have come in and out through the window, but she had never been one for acrobatics. A loud growling that was not from either the hysterical woman or the angered elf prince suddenly caught everyone's attention. Nuada and Titania turned in time to see Ravi bounding towards them. "Ravi, no!"

"_Not play_?" the tiger asked in confusion. He lowered his head and glared at Nuada. "_Not play_."

"Your friend is in danger, not play," Nuada replied in thought. The tiger's eyes shifted in acknowledgement. He turned and bounded down the stairs. The elf smiled as the mass of orange and black fur made its way to the back door. "He will have to accompany us. We must go now."

"Magnus! Misses Badcrumble! Magnus!" Nadia shouted frantically. Her fear was causing her to lose her balance. She sank to the floor trembling and shouting. Titania instinctively turned to help her mother. Nuada sighed and firmly took the girl by the arm, leading the way down the stairs as the shouting continued. "Titania!"

"She's terrified, she got scared just looking at you," Titania whispered.

"It will pass," the prince said as they reached the back door. He could hear the butler beginning to stir in a room not far and Agatha was about to move through the kitchen door. Ravi grunted and waited patiently as the pwca waiting on the other side of the door opened it and allowed the three to exit. He glance nervously at Ravi, maintaining his faerie form that made him more human than rabbit. "My people once inspired such fear in the hearts of men."

"She's going to lose it. She's going to have every detective and agency on the planet looking for us," Titania said anxiously. Nuada smiled as he brought them to the edge of the forest. "What will we do then?"

"Your mother knows only beings of the human world, my girl," he reminded casually. A breeze picked up behind them, causing the pwca and the girl to shiver with the cold. "There will be no one of my realm to assist her. Now, do you still have the key that led to the Riddle Glen?"

"Yeah, but what good would that do? That's not where we're going," she said fishing through the bag. She withdrew the odd key and handed it to the prince. He smirked and led the way back into the forest, this time heading towards the nearest edge of the stream. "You could have asked for me to meet you in the forest, you know."

"Your mother would have prevented you from venturing off and I would not have had the chance to assure her of your safety," he replied smoothly as he held the key up in the moonlight. Titania watched as a small stream of blue light bounced off the key's edge and created a strand of silver leading further into the trees. "Besides, it would not have done for you to have simply left the dwelling unannounced. Oberon will have seen you depart with me and will not go back for your mother."

"He'll go after her?!" Titania exclaimed. She turned back towards the mansion for a moment. Nuada grasped her arm once more and led them to follow the light. "Wait! What about my mom!?"

"She will be fine, Titania, I assure you," he said. Titania frowned and began breathing unsteadily as they wandered towards a very large birch. Nuada smiled at the key's light pouring over it. "There are not enough portals left in the world. Luckily in Bethmoora there are plenty of tree-tunnels and we shall not be forced to use a knucker-hole."

"I'm not sure about this," Titania admitted as she glanced at him in concern. She had dreamed of being involved in a grand adventure and had even dreamt of being the one that the villain sought. Now it seemed like more than she could handle. She remembered well what the gnome's lair had been like and how terrified she had been. She hadn't been much use there, but at least she had wielded the power of a potent weapon against them. What would she have to use against a dark faerie? She knew nothing about them and she knew very little about how to destroy creatures like trolls and goblins. She felt his hand move away from her arm and instead grasp her hand. A comforting warmth washed over her at feeling his long, pale fingers interlace her own. She drew in a deep breath.

"Only do what I tell you until this has ended, you will be safe," he said as they moved towards the tree. The more light from the key that touched the bark, the more it began to glow bright green. The tree now seemed to be shimmering and swaying in the night breeze, its branches constructed of cosmic breath. "You are stronger than you think, Titania. You faced the Gnome King, Seth, Aradia, and Jareth. None of them had any real power over you."

Titania glanced back up at him, smiling at his remembering her words from days before. He smiled back and waved one hand over the air in front of the tree. In a spray of green light, the tree's trunk split in half and began to throb as the halves parted. "Where would you travel, creature of the earth?" a strange, ethereal voice said from all around. Titania glanced in every direction as the prince stared into the glowing tree.

"Across the sea, to the Island of Manhattan as the humans call it," he replied. The tree groaned and the halves moved to either side, lying against the ground entirely as a net of pure light and energy lay before the group. Ravi grunted and snapped his jaws at the light streaming past him. "This, Titania, is how my people travel."

"Whoa," she whispered as they began to move into the tree's light. "This is better than flying."

"Again," said the prince as they walked through the light, " . . . I disagree."

--------------------------------------------

Nadia had not been successful in reaching Magnus quickly enough to have him stop the two. Magnus had not been successful in reaching Scotland Yard quickly enough for the detectives to get a good idea at where to look first other than the forest. And Thomas Manning had not been successful in getting all the details accurately in the immediate, panic stricken phone call from Nadia. He had gone and told the team all that he knew, tears streaming from his eyes. He stood at his desk, trying to speak to his her as she tried to speak to the authorities, occasionally shouting at the detectives to let her tell Titania's father what was going on. Manning closed his eyes and tried to prevent his heart from pounding out of his chest as his ex-wife rattled off details to the detectives as best she could.

Nadia, in her panicked state, had not remembered the assailant's name. She had barely been able to give a good description of him other than clothing and the authorities were having trouble recording what she was truly trying to tell him. White-skinned was recorded as simply being Caucasian, though Nadia frantically kept repeating that he was too pale to be alive. Golden hair was recorded as blonde, though Nadia continued to state that it wasn't blonde all the way through. His eyes were regarded as being brown, though Nadia had stated otherwise. Indeed, the detectives saw the hysterical mother as a nuisance until she could be calmed and could remember things without hyperventilating or bursting into tears. She placed the cellular phone down on a nearby table, sobbing. Manning had told the woman to try and remain calm. He was an agent for the United States government and there was no need to panic while he had the ability to look for their daughter.

Manning now stood behind his desk, looking more frantic than Nadia. He up the phone and took a deep breath. "The word is that she was taken by a man, a Caucasian, about late 30's early 40's in a Japanese costume," Manning explained as he began wiping his dripping brow with a handkerchief. He panted for a moment and began waving his hands expressively. "No one has been able to track where they went and they're not sure what he is up to, no motive or demands. They're checking the forest. They said . . ." he trailed off as he slammed three more antacids in his mouth and began chewing madly. His voice began breaking and quivering as he spoke. "They said she looked terrified and he had a knife in hand when he took her."

"A knife?" Red said aloud in confusion. "That sounds a little odd for someone in this day."

"It wasn't a knife," Liz announced loudly. Everyone turned as she entered the room. Angry tears were held behind dams of determination as she spoke. "I just got off the phone with the butler at the mansion, Tania gave me the number last year." Liz looked to the side and breathed deeply, shaking while she tried to remain calm in relaying the message. "He said it was a sword, that Nadia described it and it had to have been a silver sword. He said he knows the name of who has her, that he had met him before when he had come to see her."

"Who is it?!" Manning demanded almost angrily. Liz looked into his eyes, a tear streaming down her cheek as if she had just received news that Tania's body had been found. Manning's heart thundered furiously in the silence. "WHO?!"

Liz drew in a deep breath and spoke through clenched teeth. "Prince Nuada."

Abe gasped in shock and felt all the fluid drain from his body. Red stood immediately, staring at Liz in nothing short of hatred, though not aimed at her. She looked away, wiping tears from her eyes furiously. Manning trembled and fell backwards into his chair. Red turned and frowned at him as Abe did the same, but displayed concern for their supervisor.

"Doctor Manning, are you alright?" he asked.

"Fish-stick, where's your wife?" he asked softly as he rubbed his head. Abe frowned and breathed deeply, stammering as he tried to assure Manning that Nuala did not know where her brother was and would probably still be quite unaware of his current position. Manning growled and whispered so harshly that Liz nearly felt extinguished forever at his voice. "I don't want to know what she does or doesn't know about the little bastard, I asked where she was. Where is she?"

"I-i-in the library," Abe replied softly. Manning rose immediately and headed swiftly for the door. The fish-man tried to reach out and take the agent by the arm, but found himself stopped by the demon. "He's upset, Red. There's no telling what he'll say or do!"

"Let him go in there and shout for a minute," Red instructed. Abe looked up at his friend in confusion. "Your wife knows better than to be afraid of him and it will make him feel better."

"He has to die," Liz suddenly said. She drew in a sharp breath and frowned at the others. She raised her hands and dropped them in exasperation. "He just has to die."

"Oh, now, Liz, there's no proof that he's harming her. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding," Abe offered, suddenly shocked at what he was saying.

"You're defending him?!" Liz shouted. Flames enveloped her body instantaneously. Red frowned and stood between the two. "You know him, Abe; you've seen into his sister's memories and you've seen every horrible thing he's ever done. What do you think he'll do to a human girl!?"

"Let's not stand here talking about this. His ass isn't going to kick itself," Red interjected. "But Abe may be onto something, he may be holding her hostage, not trying to hurt her yet."

The three headed out into the hallway, hearing from a distance Manning wailing and shouting for Nuala to tell him where her brother was. Abe and Red hurried down the hallway towards the library as Liz glanced down at her cellular phone in anger. Had anyone thought to install a tracking device in her when she was young? She growled in frustration and looked at the screen. She was glad she had called the butler. She flipped mindlessly through the numbers in the contact list. Titania's cell number appeared. A flash of hope went through the pyro's mind. What if Titania had thought to sneak her phone off with her? She breathed sharply and pressed the dial button, praying madly that the girl had been able to get at least one thing past the elf. Liz already had a thousand nasty words and fists in her mind to give to the elf for what had been done to her husband; but this was beyond sick. Regardless of what happened to the princess, the prince had to be dealt with. Her heart leapt as the ringing began. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. "Come on, Tania," she breathed sharply. Four rings. "Please, Tania."

"Liz?" Titania asked from the other end. Liz cried out and grasped her chest in relief and fear. Good, now they could locate her and finally contain a force against humanity.

_(((Aaaagghhh! Now what? On to the next chapter, that's what! Can anyone guess what Ravi and Wink will do when they meet? PLAY! Oh, and Happy Birthday Gautama Siddhartha and Adolf Hitler, sharing a birthday between these two proves that God has a sense of humour that is unmatched in its capability for irony.))))_


	31. Telephones, Trolls, and Tigers

_(((I thank everyone for their patience and keeping up with the story. I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing and dreaming it! I was certified for CPR and First Aid Friday and hope that everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day without the need of either! Enjoy, the plot is only about to get more exciting with only nine chapters to go!)))_

**Chapter 31**

Liz pursed her lips and breathed as calmly as possible as she gripped the phone to her ear, trembling. She thought for a moment about how best to handle the questions she needed to ask and what the possible outcomes for any of them would be. It was impossible to know how Nuada would behave short of simply killing Titania. Why hadn't he killed her? Why hadn't he killed the butler or her mother? The prince was playing a game with them, he had to be, and this was not at all the norm for him. Her eyes shifted rapidly, an emotional seizure playing through her nerves.

"Liz, are you okay?" Titania asked. "You sound upset."

"Tania," Liz said fighting away the urge to shout. "Where are you?"

"Well . . ." the girl said softly. As her voice faded, Liz felt fire beginning to well in her veins. She fought the flames madly as the girl thought. "I'm with a friend right now. It's late, Liz and mom doesn't know where I am. I'll have to call you when I'm . . ."

"_**Where are you**_!?" Liz suddenly shouted, unable to control the volume as she felt the girl dissembling past any hope of discovering their location. "Where is he taking you?!"

"Wh-who are you talking about?" Titania stammered, unfortunately now aware of her friend's savvy to her situation. If there was one thing the BPRD did well it was keep one step ahead of things with information. It was likely that Nadia had made sure that Thomas had known instantly and he would not have been able to keep it from the team, especially Abe. The girl frowned, watching as the prince glanced around the alleyway that was their current position. They had arrived in Manhattan two hours prior and had spent the entire time trying to sneak through back alleys towards the Brooklyn Bridge. The prince glared at the crowds of humans passing by in the darkness and watched the street lights with contempt. "Liz?"

"Is he there?" Liz said nearly whispering. Titania hesitated, continuing to watch the focused elf. "Is he there, Tania?"

"Liz, I think that maybe I should call you later, when things are safer," Titania said more softly. If Nuada were to recognize Liz's voice at all, there was no telling how he would respond.

The pyro's veins boiled over, flame shooting from the ends of her hair. She quickly pulled the phone in front of herself, clicking it to speaker. "**Bring her back! You bring her back right now, you sadistic son of a . . .**" Nuada turned at the sound of the shrieked obscenity. His eyes narrowed at the phone as Titania covered the receiver. She frowned and squeezed her eyes closed as a stream of muffled threats filled the air immediately around her hand. The elf moved closer to her and looked down at the object in confusion. He looked back into the girl's eyes inquisitively. She shook her head and opened her mouth to explain, not able to find the words. He reached down and carefully pushed her hand aside as the one-sided conversation reached an end phrase. "**I swear to God I'll do whatever it takes**!"

"Elizabeth Sherman," Nuada said aloud, trying to remember the name of the agent that had been the demon's mate. He had sensed her name through his sister before the team had arrived in Ireland to handle the Golden Army. He smirked and looked towards Titania almost amused. "Is your father there, as well?"

"I don't know," Titania replied softly.

"We're all here, you twisted freak! I don't know what you've done to her, but if you don't bring her to us in an hour I'm going to drive a PVC pipe down your perverted throat and feed you all your little troll friends one piece at a time!" the pyro shouted more angrily than ever before. The rest of the team peeked out into the hallway joined by a few nearby operatives curious about the reason for this particular outburst. "Where are you?"

"We are safe, tell them we are safe and nothing more," he instructed. Titania frowned at him and shook her head slightly. He waved a hand towards the speaker more emphatically. Liz growled. "Tell them."

"Liz," Titania began.

"Tania, sweet-heart, please just try to remember everything we went over on every visit," she said softly. "Please, tell me where you are. He's not going to hurt you as long as he needs you, just tell me where you are."

"Is she going to alert your father to your present condition?" Nuada asked in confusion. "Or is she your keeper when you are here?"

"Liz?" Red asked moving towards her. Manning and Abe joined him quickly, all of them staring down at the phone in amazement. Nuala appeared behind her husband, clutching Leopold. The baby lay fast asleep, eyes closed gently as his mother's gaze widened in disbelief. "Liz, what's going on?"

"Anung un Rama?" Nuada exclaimed, recognizing the voice.

"Brother," Nuala gasped. At the faint sound of his sister's voice, Nuada felt his heart stop. His breathing shortened. She was nearby. It was tempting to demand to speak to her, to even head straight for their compound and take her away. A more sensible and present portion of the royal told him to focus on the task at hand. Nuala was safe, but Titania needed to be taken somewhere that would ensure her safety.

"Give me that!" Manning shouted. "Titania?! Let me talk to her!"

"Dad, I'm right here," Titania groaned in slight embarrassment and total frustration. "Honestly, you guys should know that he doesn't know how to use a phone. I am perfectly fine, stop getting all weird on me."

"Tania, baby, please tell me where you are," Manning begged. "I just need to know where you are? Are you still in England?"

"Dad, we need to get going. We've been wandering around for hours and I'm exhausted," she said firmly. "And tell Liz to stop to yelling at him like he's a criminal and to stop calling names."

"Tania, are you underground? Can you see where you are?" Red asked, feeling that he had a more sensible question than anyone up to this point. Titania groaned all the louder, suddenly feeling like shouting as well. "Did he take you underground?"

Before the girl could answer, Nuada glanced down at the oddment. It was a communication device. One could speak into it and be heard a great distance away. He placed a hand gently on the girl's shoulder, sensing her distress growing. She would be most susceptible to stresses until the ordeal with Oberon was finished. "We are not underground, yet. She is safe," he said as loudly as he felt necessary for the others to hear him. "Assure her father that I will look after her until . . . " he glanced at the girl with slight uncertainty. " . . .until it is no longer necessary."

Red and Abe held Manning away from the speaker as the man tried desperately to take hold of it and shout greater demands and threats than his agent. "What's your game, elf?" Red asked. "You trying to send us a message or use something as a weapon? Try the direct way. Just come on over here and do whatever you're planning on doing without involving someone else. Titania's just a kid, you don't need to kill her; you don't need to do this."

The elf rolled his eyes almost simultaneously with the girl. "I shall have to forgo the afore mentioned mandate that the next person to be accusatory will be severely beaten as I am nowhere near where you are and we must be on our way," the prince replied. "Say goodbye, Titania, so that we can get somewhere to rest and regroup."

"Brother, please," Nuala interjected. She tried to sense her twin's motives through his voice. The tension in the room was blocking their weakened link too greatly for her to send her feelings to his and draw his away from him. "Please do not be cruel." He froze once more, remembering the horrible things he had said to his sister in a dream. He breathed deeply and looked towards Titania, motioning for her to bid her father and friends goodbye as he had ordered. "Brother . . ."

"Abe, get your wife out of here, God only knows what she's telling him mentally," Manning said angrily. "Now!"

Nuada felt a rage of his own welling within him at the mention of Abraham, his sister, and their apparent union. The rage was cut short as the sound of an infant crying met every ear listening. The prince gasped and glanced around in bewilderment. The cries were elf-kind, the infants of his kind emitted a secondary sound when crying to deter unpleasant magical creatures and some humans. He stared at the object, contemplating again the idea of heading to the compound.

"You listen to me, elf," Manning began. Titania groaned audibly and fumbled for the button to hang up. Ravi pressed his crown against the back of her leg, grunting and growling. The sound of the creature's growling made Manning's already pounding heart start into yet another full gallop. "You bring my daughter here to the compound within 24 hours, alive, and intact. Do you hear me!? 24 hours! So help me, I'll . . ."

Titania pressed the 'end' key and sighed heavily. "Morons," she muttered. The insult from the girl was a little out of sorts for her, but the prince was preoccupied with other thoughts for the moment. His sister had been truthful with him. She had borne a child with Abraham. Why hadn't he felt the union? He shook his head and looked down at her resolutely.

"We are not far, only a few paces across the way over there and we will be all set."

"Good," she said hiding a yawn. "That's where the entrance is?"

"Come along," he instructed. "And say nothing until I direct you to do so. These creatures will not be as fair and friendly to begin with as those of the forest."

"Duly noted," Puck muttered as he began to shiver. The group moved quickly across the street, darting through the darkness as there was a sudden break in traffic and commotion. Titania watched their surroundings carefully. It didn't seem like anything special as they approached. An old woman stood tending a cart teeming with stray cats in cages. Puck frowned and shook his head. "Fragglewumps are everywhere."

"Leave this to me," the prince instructed. The elf strode proudly up to the old woman who turned around gasping and stammering. "You, open the entrance to the market."

"Oh! At once, your majesty!" the woman exclaimed, bowing low and setting a cat on the ground. Titania winced at this sight. She remembered Misses Badcrumble and the revelation that had followed her and the prince walking in on her in the kitchen as she had been about to consume Ravi. She frowned, suddenly missing the old cook terribly. "This way, your highness. Oh, what a lovely sight you are."

"I thank you on behalf of myself and my friends for your assistance," he said as the woman began to scurry into another portion of the alleyway. He turned and motioned for the girl and the others to follow. Titania reached down and took hold of a section of Ravi's extra fur around his neck. He grunted and began walking beside her slowly. They had walked through the alleyway and into an old abattoir called 'Happy Cows'. Titania glanced at the cold, hanging bodies of beef with apprehension. They continued in further until arriving at a very large round structure with odd carvings that seemed to be much like the carvings on the prince's spear. The prince nodded towards the woman who smiled and quickly reached over to a rather ornate and complicated looking device beside the entrance. The old troll pressed several of the interlocked devices and turned them ever so slightly until the round covering slid open. A waft of warm, moist air washed over the group. Puck shifted uncomfortably and frowned at his master.

"Welcome to the Troll Market, Titania," the elf said waving towards the busy scene within. Odd creatures in even stranger clothes bustled about the streets within. Several curio shops and kiosks displaying both magical made and scavenged from men items lay along the stone street. Titania marveled at the sight of entirely covered beings and entirely nude trolls of many kinds wandering around and conversing or heckling loudly. The prince smiled brightly and turned back to the girl. "Stay close, and remember to keep silent."

She nodded and followed carefully as the prince walked into the busy street. The creatures that first took note of the elf shrieked and dove to one side or the other in terror. Fairies that perched on the tap-wires above began to chatter loudly in their language. Titania glanced up, noticing the strange beings. They seemed less attractive than the nightmares and some of them had several sets of solid toned wings. Each appeared to have been painstakingly constructed, different from the rest of even the same race, by some eccentric fanatic of the ancient world. She felt herself growing more tired by the second as she lowered her gaze back to straight ahead. She noticed that the prince had hurried ahead of her several paces. She frowned and started after him. As she made it to almost being right beside him once more, she suddenly noticed that Ravi was nowhere in sight. She gasped and stopped, looking around carefully for the tiger.

"Ravi?" she called. She frantically began looking in every direction, trying to spot even the correct colour scheme for her friend. "Ravi! Ravi?"

Nuada stopped and turned, watching Titania as she headed in the opposite direction and shouted for the tiger more loudly. He growled softly and narrowed his eyes, trying to locate the animal as well. It had occurred to him that there would be some sort of issue in bringing the tiger into the open market, but he hadn't imagined it happening so quickly. He moved quickly to take hold of Titania before he lost her as well. Grasping her hand, Nuada turned towards the food court and looked over the merchants carefully. Perhaps a zealous gourmet had seen an opportunity in the beast.

"Ravi!" Titania exclaimed. This time the girl's voice was not calling out for a possible location; she had seen him. The prince felt the girl pull free of his hand and dart towards the spice market. He heaved a sigh and looked down at Puck, still cowering as close to the elf as he could.

"Stay right here, Puck," he commanded. "Whatever you see, do not move from this spot. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sire," the pwca muttered with a nod. The elf turned back to the spice market, making sure that Titania was still within view. She was barely to the main merchant, who had hold of Ravi by the scruff of his neck. The tiger looked oddly subdued and was grunting audibly enough for the prince to catch it from a distance filled with the odd sounds of the rest of the crowd. As he moved towards the girl and tiger, he could feel that there were now many creatures recognizing him and whispering to one another about how impossible this was.

"Titania!" the prince called.

"Please, he's mine! He's not wild and he's not for sale!" she cried as she tried to take hold of the tiger herself. The spice merchant growled and pulled the tiger harshly in one direction while shoving the girl in the opposite.

"Get going, little girl! This brute was wondering about freely and he can easily belong to anyone," the merchant hissed. Titania felt the heat and scent of the merchant troll's breath spraying into the air around them like a foul steam. "He is mine."

"I believe the girl claimed ownership first, sir," Nuada's voice announced proudly and firmly. Titania felt his hand come to rest gently on her shoulder. She glanced back at him, still trying to keep her grip on Ravi and fight off the hand of the spice merchant. "Relinquish him at once."

"Prince Nuada!" the merchant exclaimed. He dropped the tiger's neck and bowed low. Titania took hold of her companion with relief, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck for a moment. "How good it is to see you again, sire! We had heard such terrible things about your sister and you."

"Rumours about the royal family are not unusual," the prince laughed. He patted the merchant on the shoulder and looked over at the girl. He turned to the merchant and spoke in a low voice in the troll tongue. "If this girl is on her own, watch her carefully. She is in grave danger and is part of my court."

"Of course, sire," the merchant troll replied with a quick nod. "But, the animal . . . there are so many wonderful uses . . ."

"And the chiefest of such is the happiness of this friend of mine," he said smiling towards Titania. She looked at him and then at the merchant uneasily before yawning. "We must go. She is weary."

"Of course, sire," the merchant replied as he turned back to his own shop. "Your apartment is as you left it, sire."

"Good," the elf said as he took the girl's hand once more. Ravi grunted and began following the two more closely. Puck watched as the three began moving towards the stairs below the market. He grunted uneasily and lowered his ears, unsure of whether or not to cry out or follow them silently. The prince smiled brightly, sensing the rabbit's presence and uncertainty. "Come, Puck."

The pwca sighed heavily and headed after the two. Neither Titania nor Puck were fully awake upon entering the apartment, climbing the stairwell, or being shown where to sleep. The prince looked down at the sight of the already sleeping girl he had told to lie down on the soft bed he had used while residing here. She had meekly obeyed after watching Ravi settle into the corner. The blankets felt warm and fairly new despite obvious marks showing their age. She closed her eyes as he sat down beside her, watching her carefully. It had been a terribly eventful night. It was likely that it would take the girl a day to recover. He, however, would need to call a council and send out a call to arms immediately. He softly stroked the top of her head. After all of the commotion, what could she be seeing in dreams? He sighed heavily. He would do his utmost to keep any unpleasantness from finding them here. There was also the question of her nearby friends and father, of course, but surely they would be understanding after another explanation. The next day's events fast approached, and the prince was sure that he was not rested enough for now.


	32. Night Dawns

_((I appreciate the feedback, support, and questions about this story. The next chapter will be especially long and cover more than a week's worth of activity, this one is kind of a respite for all involved! Enjoy and keep smiling!)))_

**Chapter 32**

Nuada had watched Titania sleep for several minutes. He had gone over several scenarios of possible actions. What of his sister? He had to rescue her. He had to bring her back to the court and sanity, away from that horrid creature Abraham. Perhaps the child she had borne would be tempered enough with elf blood to be acceptable in the court as well. He sighed and rubbed his brow, silently summoning one of the lower messengers of the market. The market was more quiet as morning fell over the city, but not at all silent. The bizarre creature came hurrying down the stone staircase, bowing low before the prince as he finished deciding on a course of action for the day ahead. He could not return to the compound at the moment. Her family would likely be a target if Oberon had any sense to him. Unfortunately, while Oberon was tasteless and consumed with almost human contempt, he was also very clever and brimming with sense to one degree or another. The elf looked down at the creature waiting for orders.

"Go and summon Lyx, the crier, now," the prince commanded. "Tell him to meet me here tomorrow night as the market grows crowded."

"Yes, your majesty. Right away, your majesty," the odd creature replied with another low bow. "We go at once."

The prince nodded in reply and watched his messenger scurry back up the stairs. He sighed once more, feeling a slight chill making its way past his layers of cloth and leather armour. He slipped off the breastplate and shoulder guards, setting them on the floor near the curtain that separated the sleeping chamber from the rest of the small living quarters. He stared out into the central area he had used for training and the passageway beyond. Those tunnels had belonged to Wink. A heaviness washed over him at remembering his fallen comrade. He growled softly, still wanting Anung un Rama to pay dearly for the murder. He clenched one fist to his chest as he removed his sash and folded it neatly.

Titania groaned and turned, shifting the coverings on the bed with her. He glanced towards her, staring at her form uneasily as she settled back into the stillness of a sound sleep. He continued removing outer layers until only leggings remained. Titania had seen him uncovered before, but he had never seen her so unclothed. She had kept all of her clothing on when climbing under the blankets, but it had come to the prince's attention that she might not be comfortable and able to rest like this. He decided against taking off any outer layers from her to make her more comfortable during sleep, lest he incur a great deal of discomfort upon her awakening. He glanced beyond the sheer curtain at the form of Puck curled up in the chair on the stairwell with Ravi sleeping at its base. What a sight, two new companions settled in with his ward in bed near him. He smirked and turned back to Titania, softly stroking her forehead once more and moving a strand of dark hair away from her eyes. She smiled in her sleep, sighing.

"This is going to be especially difficult for you," he said softly. "You've never been so far away from the forest, have you? Not for very long, at least. I saw that much in you. No worries." He pulled the covering upward and slipped underneath, settling beside the girl while still watching her face cautiously. "I will not allow your innocence to be marred by this world of stone, of steel and selfishness. I will see it made right in the end, but while we are here I will keep you close to the purity of my people and not the world of man."

"Prince Nuada," Titania whispered softly in her sleep. He smiled and leaned forward, gently placing his cheek against her forehead, feeling from even this distance the strong pulse of her tender heart and subtle breaths. " . . . I love you."

He shuddered at these words and placed an arm around her, drawing her sleeping form to him tightly. He felt the chill fade into a warmth that surpassed the sun. It might have been a phrase of dreams, of fantasy, but it reflected a desire kept kindled in her spirit. She loved him. He had never truly thought about the phrase, the word 'love' since his mother's death. He had loved Nuala and he had assumed that she had felt the same for him. Love was complicated, distracting, and often a little too corrupted with human ritual even among their own kind for him to have a desire to experience more than what he had sampled as a boy. Now, the thought of doing without the presence of Titania was painful.

He laid back against the pillows, clutching her to him gently enough to prevent her waking in shock. He felt her breath against his chest, nearly wishing that she could inhale the pulses of serenity from his own heart and make them hers. No, to have one's own feelings and identity was only right and made the love more real until marriage and even after. He smiled brightly. Was there the possibility of . . . ? He shook his head and closed his eyes, willing himself to drift off to sleep, satisfied that all was well and safe for the time being. Now was the wrong time to lose focus and drift off into anything but sleep or scheming.

----------------------------------------

Liz sat in the straw-covered bed, rubbing her hands together anxiously as she thought about the current situation. All possible agents had been sent out to search in England and Ireland save for the team's main operatives. The idea was that Red, Abe, and Krauss would be a target for the prince's mischief. The physical had revealed Liz's condition, banning her from any future missions until she had given birth. Nuala, of course, was neither a member of the team at the moment nor a suitable candidate to seek out her brother in the eyes of the authority figures. Liz shook her head and grasped either side of her jaw, tears starting to fight their way to their surface. Had Titania tried to tell her about the prince's presence before? Had something happened that had introduced them on this last visit? What could she have done to stop this? The girl was in more danger than anyone could imagine and no one seemed to be working hard enough to find her. She groaned and laid back, shooing two cats away. The new door to the room opened and closed loudly. She sat upright and cleared her throat as her husband entered, carrying the odd bundle of blue cloth usually seen around Leopold.

"What are you doing with their baby?" Liz asked in confusion as Red set down the satchel of supplies sent by any intelligent parent to ensure their child's care. The demon smiled down at the baby and then back at his wife. "Well?"

"Well, Abe said that Nuala's all excited and conflicted about her brother being alive and back in the picture," he explained as he began to walk towards her. "He said he wanted to have some alone time with her you know to comfort her and talk with her. She was heading for their tank and I figured we could help them out a little, give them some privacy."

"We're _sex_-sitting?" Liz asked disgustedly. Red laughed and stared down at Leopold. "Isn't anyone going to make her look for him and Tania?!"

"According to her, she doesn't sense any hostility in him at the moment. Abe confirmed it," Red replied. Liz clutched her forehead and stifled a shriek. "What?"

"Abe can't see what he's doing and there's no guarantee that she's being truthful," the pyro muttered. "We should be out there. We could check the market or something."

"He said they were nowhere near here," Red replied with a shrug. "And Abe said that she didn't even seem worried about him finding Leo as much."

"This is insane! She's been kidnapped and the only person that knows how to find him is just . . ." Liz ranted. Leo grunted and shifted in the demon's arm. She frowned. "This is ludacris. We have to find her."

"We will. He won't do anything drastic," the demon stated calmly. "Too into theatrics and all, he liked having a crowd to watch. We just keep being patient. Manning's being sedated, so we'll have plenty of leniency in getting this done. _Right after mommy and daddy are done comforting each other_."

"Oh, brother," Liz groaned, sitting back on the edge of the bed once more. She watched as her husband walked towards her, carrying the infant. She shifted uncomfortably. "Red, Titania is in the hands of the creature that _almost __**killed**__ you_."

"Yep, almost," the demon replied as he sat down beside the young woman. She huffed and turned away, crossing her arms in the angry manner that alerted anyone nearby to the fact that she had not received what she wanted. Red ignored this and leaned forward over the baby who was looking around anxiously. The demon had read very few manuals about parenting, but had heard other parents speaking to their children on television. "_And almost isn't the same as was, is it? Uncle Psychopath is jonesing for a whooping, but he's going to have to be patient and wait until Uncle Red can pound his face in, yes he will_."

"Don't talk to him like that; Abe says it'll stunt his cognitive development," Liz corrected as she moved to sit beside her husband and pseudo-nephew.

"Well, talk like that will stunt his normal development," Red quipped back. He placed Leopold gently in his enormous, stone palm. "I think we'll have to do a lot of play dates and sleep-over's with him and the twins if we're going to keep him from being a total nerd."

"Sleep-over's? What if our twins are girls, have you thought about that?" Liz interjected hotly. "You're not going to freak out if we have a daughter, are you?"

"Come on, Liz, just relax for a minute," the demon said staring firmly at his wife. He could sense the anxiousness in her from a distance. Liz, for a reason beyond anyone's understanding, felt responsible for Titania's situation. She also didn't seem to be grasping the facts presented as quickly, either. "You've got to stop worrying and let yourself rest until someone tells us where he is. _That pointy-eared freak of nature won't do anything . . . anything without an audience . . . no he won't. Because elves start getting weird when they stop making toys."_

"Tania's not acting right about this, either. She almost seems like she's defending him and it's way too early for Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe he's used some kind of magic on her or something," Liz muttered as she rubbed her head. "We should try and contact her again. Maybe if we keep talking to her she'll start seeing reason."

"She's fine for now, _and when we get her back I'm going to . . ._" the demon began.

"Red, stop using the baby voice and stop saying violent stuff!" Liz demanded as she quickly pulled the infant from her husband's hand. He frowned and watched her hold the child awkwardly in front of her. "This is not going to end well. The link is still there, Red. We need to do something permanent about him, but we can't get rid of him without killing Nuala."

"Killing him may not be the answer. We could always imprison him, encase him in bronze or something," Red offered. He placed a hand on Liz's shoulder as she gave him a side glance with one brow lifted in reproach. He shook his head and watched his wife reach down and adjust the blanket carefully around the baby. She seemed less anxious about the idea of motherhood ever since she and the princess had gone off to have a private conversation the week before. He imagined that as soon as Jenna Finkelstein returned, the entire atmosphere of the facility would change and the woman would possibly have a more suitable plan of action in taking down the elf-prince without harming his sister. Leopold cooed and arched his back, reaching a hand upward toward the pyro's face. She smiled slightly and looked back to her husband, leaning her head against him gently.

"Tania will probably figure something out long before we do," Liz sighed. "She was always good about getting things done silently and quickly."

"Probably," Red replied placing his other hand against her head comfortingly. "She's never been timid or submissive. I wonder what _she's_ planning to do with him."

"Whatever it is, I hope he doesn't make her as angry as that dwarf pit-fiend did. Remember that? Manning never even heard about it," Liz said with a slight smile. She looked down once more as Leopold yawned and began contorting, trying to move onto his side in the woman's arms. She held him upright and stared at the infant in confusion. "We're going to have two of these."

"Yeah," Red whispered happily. The child's enormous dark eyes and striking pale skin were mesmerizing with or without the small scar that shaped his cheeks perfectly. He looked directly at the demon and pyro quietly. The demon looked over the child's features cautiously. His ears were pointed and the skin around his eyes and lips had turned from a bluish-green to slightly purple. This had been a slow process, but it didn't appear to signify an illness. Red reached out and gently touched the side of the child's head near his ear. Only the eyes and slight webbing of Leo's hands and feet spoke of his father's blood being in him. Nuala's entire existence had seemed to overshadow her husband's in their first child. This, secretly, had set the young pyro more on edge than anything; what if her children bore the same dark gift? What if they had to suffer through desperately controlling the flames within them? Red noticed the saddened expression growing on his wife's face. "Hey," he said, placing a hand gently under her chin. "We're going to have two."

"Not anytime soon," the pyro sighed. She frowned and laid the baby against her chest as a cat sauntered by, trying to sniff at Leopold from a distance. She wondered if all children were as worried about entering a new world, but forgot it by the time they were old enough to remember other events? All thoughts about Titania being brutally held captive by the elf melted into a theory that the girl was handling things well and that the brute wouldn't try anything entirely depraved unless he had an audience. She looked towards their door, wondering how on earth all of this was going to resolve itself in the end. It would be far more difficult than the last escapade.

-------------------------------------

The prince found himself unable to sleep for more than a few precious hours, but the rest that he had desperately needed was well met. He breathed deeply as the sounds of the market growing more active overhead met him. He glanced over at Titania who still lay sleeping. Her head was turned away from him, curled up to the edge of the bed where he had set her down to sleep. He placed one hand on her shoulder gently, grasping her with a familiarity he had not allowed himself to experience. This was what his father and mother had enjoyed, waking with the love of their life as the first sight of the day. Titania groaned and shifted, sitting up on one elbow and rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Titania," he said brightly. The girl jumped and turned toward him in shock. She gasped and pulled the covers over herself protectively despite not needing the modesty it was meant to offer. He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she muttered as she glanced around nervously. She noted that he was more unclad than she remembered. She leaned back against the pillow, closing her eyes and sighing. "How long have I been asleep?"

He thought for a moment. Elves had a natural sense of time and all it took to summon it was a little focus. He smiled. "Only about six hours, not long," he replied. "You should go back to sleep."

"I'm not tired anymore," she yawned, climbing out of the bed and onto the floor. "What do we do now?"

"First, I suggest both of you figure out where you will be sleeping from this point on!" Puck's voice shouted from behind the sheer curtain. Nuada turned, staring at the form of the angry pwca with hands once again on his hips as he glared at the prince. "Sleeping in the same bed! Such disregard for the girl's feelings!"

"I'm fine, it wasn't crowded or anything," Titania replied, feeling her hair for any knots or tangles. She was sure she hadn't moved around enough to look disheveled. "It was fine."

"Hmph!" the rabbit said again. He turned and watched Ravi pacing around the central portion of the apartment, sniffing the floor pensively. "I suppose next you two will be off to the market without an escort."

"Of course," Nuada said as he walked back over to where he had left the rest of his clothes. He began pulling on the tunic quickly. "Someone will need to stay here and watch the tiger."

"Sire, what on earth are we even doing here? Do you have any sort of plan?" the pwca groaned.

The elf's dark lips turned upward into an unusually bright grin. Titania noticed this as he pulled the sash around his waist and tied it fluidly. "As a matter of fact, the plan is already in place. First, I will meet with Lyx the crier to move throughout the market and the tunnels for a week alerting the entire population of creatures on the coastline to our predicament," the prince announced proudly. "In the meantime, Titania and I will go and speak to the rest of my people left near the rail-yard. They will need to know more than any others what is transpiring across the sea."

"Then we're going to meet with the other elves? Right now?" Titania asked. She was excited about the prospect, but the thought that she was incredibly under-dressed was also weighing heavily on her mind. She hadn't really worried about the idea of dressing to impress Nuada, she had only ever thought about being as natural as possible. Now that she had seen other members of the magical kingdom and the market, she was concerned with being as regal and well-groomed as the prince seemed to be without trying. She watched him head towards the curtain. He stopped and turned, holding one hand out to her. "Are we going to speak with them right away?"

"Of course not, first I must alert the stronger portion of the forces that will serve in my ranks. It will be at least a day before I go before my own kind once more," he replied. Titania nodded and carefully took his hand. "Wait here and watch Ravi, Puck. I am counting on you to make sure that he is not taken by any of the merchants or other patrons upstairs."

"Why me?" Puck muttered sadly as he looked over Titania from a distance.

"Because you are also in danger at the marketplace, my friend," the elf replied as he led the girl towards the staircase. Titania stared at the passageway apprehensively. "Come, Titania. We need to eat before the day truly begins."


	33. A Midautumn Day's Nightmare

_(((Whew! This chapter moves more quickly than the others as it is coming up on the final battle and final time together for the hero and heroine. Before anyone asks, No, the story mentioned about Queen Titania does not stem from any legend in particular and has nothing to do with the original Queen Titania created by Shakespear to represent the Celtic Queen Mab. By the way, you think you hate Welf now, wait until the next chapter when he gets really crazy.))))_

Chapter 33

The market began to fill with creatures well before midnight, but well after dark. The market was always warm with a chill that moved through any unwelcome pedestrian that stood still for more than a minute. Creatures either entirely unclad with pachydermal skin or robed from head to toe in layers of cloth and metal, moved through the passageways with only a few utterances and gestures as language for passersby. The moment a patron stepped into a shop or up to a kiosk, a loud connection of heckling and exchange of news began. Titania watched in amazement, trying to keep up with the prince as he walked swiftly and smoothly through the passages while she tried to get a good look at every part of these surroundings. The faeries overhead stopped every now and again, congregating on a portion of the wires to stare down at her and whisper to one another. She smiled and hesitated, mesmerized by the enormous eyes of the creatures as they smiled back. She suddenly felt a firm hand clasp around her own and begin to tug her away from the scene. She turned and looked back at the prince as he led the way further into the market. He smirked as they continued.

"You seem almost as amused with them as they are with you," he remarked.

"Why is that? Why isn't anyone trying to kill me?" she asked with an uncertain glance towards the other creatures. Nuada chuckled softly at her question as she moved closer to him. They stopped for a moment as the prince glanced over a farther section of the market. Titania noticed a merchant chopping the heads off of fish and calling to others in the market to come and purchase fresh fish. She gulped and took a step backward. "Not that I'm complaining, but I thought it would be more hostile down here."

"You are young and you are female," he said casually. "Traits adored by my people. Little girls, which could mean human females of varying ages until their hair grows white, are seen as . . . well . . . innocent." His explanation seemed to make a modicum of sense to the girl as they moved through the rest of the passageway towards a hidden anteroom off of one thoroughfare. "The creatures of my realm see you as, I imagine, you see Puck."

"Really?" Titania asked as they moved away from the crowd. "Interesting."

The anteroom off of the passageway appeared to be some sort of eatery. Instead of chairs and tall tables that were usually seen in the European bistros that Titania was used to, there were large cushions and low-set tables of varying sizes, colours, and shapes. Titania saw a few brown-hooded creatures huddled around one table, speaking softly to one another and laughing every so often. Two other settings were occupied by large, spindly creatures clothed in green silk. They had long snouts like aardvarks, but did not appear to have fur or any other mammalian features. She glanced around at each of the odd beings around her and the artwork set on the walls. Etchings of the odd troll symbols as well as ancient paintings of mythical creatures wandering among trees lined the two walls on either side of what must have been the kitchen. Titania looked up at the large, stone writing above the kitchen. Had she been able to read the troll's alphabet, she would have noted that her assumption was confirmed. He gestured for her to sit down on one of the nearby cushions. This setting was particularly well-kept with brilliant red cushions trimmed with gold and white. The table was a large, glass hexagon surrounded by brass-work that curled around itself like gnarled branches. Decorative leaves stemmed away from the legs of the table in a few places, giving the table a look of a bronzed trunk filled with ice. Nuada took a seat opposite hers and glanced toward the rest of the market with an emotion resembling a serenity Titania hadn't seen in him.

The girl jumped as a heavy hand suddenly came to rest on her shoulder. She looked up at the sight of a strange creature wearing old brown robes and a filthy apron. Grey ram's horns extended from either side of the creature's head. Yet somehow the creature's odd face, being neither human nor entirely animal, smiled kindly at the girl as his hand sat on her shoulder.

"Hello there; and who might you be?" the creature asked in a very pronounced cockney accent with a deep voice. His teeth were pointed behind his grayish lips. The girl froze and found that her voice had disappeared entirely.

"Good day, Imbolg," Nuada said. The creature turned its head and smiled at the prince. "This is Titania, a friend."

"Titania? A treacherous name. A friend _yours_?" Imbolg laughed. He gently took the hand on the girl's shoulder and patted her chin before standing upright and folding his hands expectantly in front of him. "Never thought of you as the sort to make friends with their kind, them being aware of your intentions at first sight and all. Though, I suppose we're all a little taken by the little ones, especially the girls. That's protection for them and us as well, eh?"

Titania turned away anxiously. For as much reading as she had done about magical creatures, she wasn't at all sure of how to respond and speak to them. She had barely been sure of how to approach Nuada, but had been violently thrust into the role of protecting Puck. She breathed deeply as the horned creature clapped his hands together once and turned to the prince. The elf looked back at the creature with a more stern expression now.

"What will it be then?" Imbolg asked. Nuada turned to Titania; gazing carefully as if searching her for the answer. After a moment he turned back to the creature.

"Whatever you think is best today. I trust your skill and judgment above anyone else in the market," the elf replied gesturing towards him. Imbolg bowed and nodded. "Both of us, I think."

"Very well, your highness," Imbolg said with a smile and another bow. "It'll only be a moment, then."

The prince nodded and turned back to Titania. She smiled and folded her arms in front of herself protectively. He looked over her more cautiously. It was not going to be easy keeping her here for several days, but perhaps keeping her as distant from the majority of the crowded market would make things simpler for both of them. He thought momentarily about what exactly he would say to Lyx and how to gather the creatures together. They would need to go on to the emerald island and await instructions at the Stonehenge. The elf was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the passage of several seconds turn into minutes. Imbolg returned to the table to see the girl and the prince sitting perfectly still and silent, neither one glancing at the other directly. He frowned a little. Had the girl been brought against her will or had something happened in the court that weighed on the prince's mind and thereby on his friend's? He shook his head. He was no counselor and felt it best not to ask questions.

"Here we are, then," Imbolg announced as he set two large bowls in front of either patron. Titania jumped slightly, also lost in her own thoughts. Nuada drew in a deep breath and nodded to the creature. "Finest in the market, says most, my own blend of spices."

"Thank you, Imbolg," the prince said with a nod. The creature smiled, glancing carefully at Titania once more before placing two odd items, handles with two forked prongs on the ends, on the table beside each bowl and moving on. "I believe it was Imblog's skill in cooking that might have kept me here longer than I had originally intended," the elf laughed as he took one of the pronged objects in his hand. He gestured for the girl to do the same. Titania looked down at the bowl in fascination. It was filled with noodles and broth. The scent was incredible, but Titania couldn't place one spice in particular. She had heard growing up that to eat food in the magical world was a slow, painful death sentence for a human, but with the creatures here siphoning so much from the humans above them, Titania felt sure that it was safe to eat this. Surely the prince knew that she could not consume the same things he did. Then again, some of the older townspeople Titania had met outside London had sworn that if invited to the table of a magical being, their permission negated any terrible thing befalling a guest. One way or another, she would be perfectly safe. She took the pronged fork in one hand as well and breathed in the warm steam. Garlic, she could smell that now, and cumin as well. "You seem disquieted, Titania. What troubles you?"

"Do you remember meeting me?" she asked softly, staring down at the bowl thoughtlessly.

He smiled. "How could I forget? You seemed more bold than myself and very determined to keep Puck and the forest safe," he replied. "If I remember correctly, you even offered what you thought to be a criminal food and shelter. Why?"

"When I told you my name I remember that you said it was the name of the most treacherous faerie queen in your history. And then, just now, he said that my name was treacherous as well," she explained as she dipped the edge of the prongs into the broth and let it sit beneath the surface for a moment. Her eyes lifted slowly to his. "Tell me about her. I know you aren't keen on talking about the dark parts of your history, but you've seen the darkest parts of ours. Tell me."

He grasped his own fork and thought for a moment, his eyes shifting as he tried to compile the words to explain without marring her perception of her own name. "In the days before my birth, Oberon had a wife named Titania. She was famed for her beauty, her charm, and her voice. But a darker fame was not far behind each of those virtues . . . her cruelty and depravity," he explained in a low tone. Titania stared back in fascination and slight disbelief. He breathed deeply, glancing down at the bowl as he tried not to be too greatly horrified by one of the less enjoyable stories from his people's past. "As Queen of the dark faeries, she was granted the longevity of the Danan like myself, but the thought of changing even the slightest as she aged upset her. It is said that she mourned for a decade at the loss of her first hair. Once her incredibly youthful features began to show a fraction of the passage of the centuries that had met her, she began pouring through texts and calling on various sages to find a way to remain young and beautiful forever."

"I thought that your kind did live forever, that you stayed young and beautiful forever," Titania said in confusion. In Nuada's memories, she had seen the prince's childhood, the features of his father and sister changing so slowly throughout time, but she hadn't computed the fact that elves aged and faded at a rate so slowly that it was scarcely as swift as the hands of a clock. She set her own bowl down, trying to make sense of it all in her human mind. "Then you will grow old just like your father, and so will your sister just not like a human being."

"Only the creator and the souls of those that breathe live forever, Titania. Back to the tale, the wicked queen somehow came to the conclusion that blood would keep her young and lovely. I am not sure how this was extrapolated from all of her studies and there is no set myth behind her epiphany, but it came to her and afterward she set out to gather all the blood she could."

"She became like a vampire?" Titania interjected. "She drank blood?"

The prince gave a half smile at the girl's interest. "Not just any blood. I have read of many creatures that you would call a vampire and none of them quite meet her evil." He leaned closer, placing one hand on the table to steady himself and give emphasis to the phrases that would follow. "She drank only the blood of human infants and small children. She believed that their youth lay in their fresh blood. It is harder for my kind to replenish our blood, you see, but it lasts and lives far beyond that of a human. The dark queen Titania sent out many dark minions; faeries, goblins, hobgoblins, trolls, and other less reputable creatures to steal infants and small children while they slept or played alone in the forests. My father said that more than half of the children born to man during this obsession of hers were claimed as victims to her vanity."

"That's awful! " Titania shrieked softly. Nuada frowned and nodded in agreement. "Didn't anyone try to stop her?"

"The sisterhood came together to discuss the matter. This was shortly after my mother and aunt joined them. The sisterhood is comprised of the most powerful and clever of my people's wise women. The majority of them are elves, but there are at least two faeries and one human, of sorts, among them. Their purpose is to heal and balance the harm caused by the differences between man and magical being," he explained. He shook his head. "I suppose they have not at all seen what man has truly done. Back to the tale, Titania was once a member of the sisterhood, governing the beauty of summer. Summer and winter were once the only phases seen, after all. Titania's minions had brought her victim after victim, replacing them with ugly boggarts they called changelings, which could appear as a human child from time to time. My mother went to the leaders of the realms of men in the black regions of the eastern mountains, the highlands, and the lush lands to the south, telling them of the travesty of Titania's selfishness and how to combat it. She told them to keep a candle lit by any cradle after the sun had set and to never allow a child to play in the forest alone. The one could be well managed, of course, but the other could not. Children have a tendency to wander and to do so alone."

"I guess that's where night-lights came from, why we're so afraid of the dark," Titania reasoned, somewhat remembering the prince's words to the auction crowd. He smiled back and nodded. "Then it kept happening for years?"

"No, my aunt decided to take action as well," he continued. "The month following my mother's council with the kings and governors of men, the Morrighan opted to send spies into the forest. The ravens at her command were to follow any children wandering alone and do their best to lead them either back to their village or to a grim that would guide them back. It began working and the wicked queen's beauty began fading more rapidly. This was, of course, not due to the passage of time, but her own hatred and bitterness. Her thirst for blood, for the consumption of precious innocence, had transformed her into something far darker and more unnatural than any creature had ever seen before. My father was very frightened for my mother and aunt as they were now said to be targets for the queen's wrath. He sent his brother, my uncle Bel, to undo her treachery. Bel disguised himself as a mirror that would make her appear most lovely and fully enchant her. The wicked queen was so filled with self-lust that she fell immediately for the trick and sat down by a river to gaze into it. My uncle waited until she was quite intoxicated by her own image and then shattered the mirror, sending all of the pieces to the bottom of the stream. Feeling that she would die without being able to see herself in that very mirror, Titania leapt in and drowned after seven years in the stream of trying to retrieve each and every shard." The girl stared back at the elf in horror as he shifted. He smiled and picked up his bowl once more. "That is why one should never break a mirror. There will be seven years of hardship to follow. It is also the reason spring and autumn were created, transitions in smaller size make life easier for those who appreciate true beauty. Uncle Bel never tired of telling the story, though he added in part of a conversation between the two that may or may not have taken place. I somehow doubt he could have managed to pass more than a syllable between them save for admiring her beauty exclusively. Bel was never one for delicate females, few of our family have been." Titania smiled uncomfortably and nodded. He frowned. "Did I say something that upset you?"

"No, I was just thinking about what you said to him, about me being your friend," she admitted. She continued simply stirring the broth and noodles around with the fork for a moment. Nuada narrowed his eyes at her, trying to understand what she was getting at before she could find the words to say it. She sighed. "He said that your intentions were obvious to most humans."

"My reputation precedes me," he said casually. "Among other things I'm sure. You've known of my desire to put the balance between magical creatures and humanity back to its proper place."

"Well, yeah, but haven't all the things we've done together, that I've done for you, changed your mind a little?" she asked anxiously. The prince stared at her in slight irritation, then confusion, then realization brought relief to his features and he smiled. "Has it?"

"I suppose I have seen a different set of priorities over the past few days, humans cannot be dealt with until the throne is reclaimed," he replied. Titania looked away, feeling a heaviness overtake her. The prince noted this right away. He hadn't truly thought about the same destruction of the race of men for a few days. Distractions had presented themselves at numerous turning points. A few other facts about the preservation of the earth and its creatures had come to light as well. "And, it has occurred to me that it would not do to destroy every human. They must simply be brought back to numbers that can be handled and shown that their place is . . ." Titania stared at the prince in horror, the look in her eyes suddenly stopping his words. He sighed and looked away. "There are still things that must be done in the court before the earth can be set to right. There is a proper order for things. In the meantime, mankind may come to respect our race and behave more according to the guidelines set down by their ancestors."

"That's . . . encouraging," Titania replied, still uncomfortable with the fact that her companion still hated her kind. Why did he feel so compelled to protect her and take care of her if he hated humans? Was this a lie or a game of some kind? No, he seemed genuine. She began eating the noodles and broth quickly, not watching as her companion did the same. The two finished in a few minutes, more pleasant conversation following the strained silence between them. After the two had finished, the prince led the way back to the apartment, this time allowing Titania to move slowly and take in the creatures and oddments more fully. The girl felt a distance between herself and the prince for the moment. The uneasiness she was desperately trying to ignore was gnawing at her incessantly. She knew that the prince did not want to hurt her, he had made that very clear for some time. It did bother her that she had not been able to change his mind entirely by saving his life repeatedly. She wondered what it would take to make him see humanity as a race that could be reasoned with. His father had seen it once upon a time, but the prince had made it clear that he had felt this foolish on his father's behalf. Something would have to change before he ascended to the throne.

Lyx, a hobgoblin who looked like a duplicate of Jareth, though clothed in a less impressive manner, arrived to speak with Nuada later on that afternoon. Titania busied herself talking with Puck and playing with Ravi while fighting away the continuing nagging of the prince's hatred. Lyx was instructed to go into the market every evening as the crowds gathered and announce from a central location the prince's need for soldiers. The trolls and other beings that volunteered were to be told to use the nearest portal (lying not far away in Trenton) to go across the sea and wait for instructions until the prince arrived. The hobgoblin had seemed as electrified with excitement by the idea of battle as the elf. He had scurried off to the market after receiving his orders, giggling wickedly. Titania shook her head as she noticed the sight from the corner of her eye. This was still a dark and truly dangerous setting for her and was not about to change anytime soon.

For the next nine days, Titania found herself living in a bizarre setting with an odd schedule. She couldn't be sure at every moment what the real time was. The manhole covering gave very little indication for the sun's presence and the market had unnatural light void of any help from nature. The prince awoke early and was usually either at work on a small mechanical object retrieved from the market (with which, Titania realized, the prince had a thorough fascination that kept him busy and kept the market sellers in constant need of seeking out broken odds and ends to be fixed) or at some form of practice. On three of the days, the prince had been fine tuning his ability to wield the spear. The girl found this as fascinating to watch as anything that might have been broadcast on the television. On one day, he had been particularly focused on practice with the sword. On the ninth day, Titania awoke to the frightening sounds of growling and snarling from both Nuada and Ravi. She gasped and hurried off of the bed and out towards the central portion of the apartment, looking for the elf and tiger frantically.

"Argh!" Nuada shouted as Ravi threw his weight onto the elf's chest, reaching for the prince's shoulder with hungry jaws. The two fell backwards on the floor, rolling to the right for a moment, then to the left as Nuada forced the tiger off of him. Ravi snarled and reached up with one paw, clawing at the prince's side as he scooted to the right and out of the way once more. Titania shrieked as Ravi roared and began bounding after the prince, snarling madly. The elf turned, grasping his spear from the floor and holding it across his chest as the creature leapt at him with both paws ready to deal a great deal of damage and his mouth ready to consume the elf in one bite.

"Ravi, NO!" the girl screamed, racing towards them as quickly as she could manage.

Ravi met with the prince's spear, his paws and mouth catching on the edge of the weapon. The two toppled over once more, this time allowing the prince to have the upper-hand. The elf held the spear firmly in place as he straddled the tiger's back. He pulled the spear forward, causing the tiger to grunt and look upward. Titania froze and waited as Nuada leaned forward, panting, and stared down into the tiger's face. "I win, this round," he announced proudly. "You let yourself get too impatient." The tiger breathed heavily and opened his mouth enough to allow his enormous pink tongue through. He licked the prince as best he could until the elf released his grip. "Argh! Why can you not face defeat with dignity?"

"Why don't you teach me how to fight with you?" Titania asked as she approached the two. "I can face defeat with dignity."

"Perhaps when this is settled I will teach you," he offered as he reached down and felt the tiger's neck carefully to make sure no harm had come to him. When he was satisfied that nothing internal had gone awry for the creature, he stood upright and walked towards the bed-chamber where his tunic and armour lay waiting. "Until then, you have no need to learn. Lyx must have gathered a decent amount of warriors thus far."

Titania moved closer to him as he knelt and began slipping the tunic over his pale shoulders. He paused for a moment and turned to her. She sighed and glanced away as he finished pulling the cloth over his chest and situating it properly. The past few days had been odd for them both, nights and days spent in close quarters in a realm that Titania had never in her life thought of being exposed to. He wondered whether he would still be able to convince her to stay with him in the faerie court after seeing the darker side of his people. She had become so distant, so silent, over the past few days. In the beginning, he would have done anything to get her to be still and silent around him. Now it seemed unnerving. Perhaps after being introduced to the elves that remained nearby, she would feel more at ease. The thought of the rest of his kindred caused his mind to wander back to the idea of his sister. He smiled slightly, thinking about how wonderful it would be to be reunited with her.

Titania turned back to the prince and suddenly gasped in shock. He stared back at her and frowned. "Titania, what is wrong?" he asked. The girl raised one hand ever so slightly and pointed to his hand. He frowned and glanced down at it, a sickness suddenly washing over him. A small and steady stream of golden blood was now dripping over the back of his hand. He quickly pulled the tunic off and threw it to the floor while trying to discover the source of the bleeding. He hadn't felt a wound. Titania moved to his side and took hold of his arm, placing her hand just below an almost invisible wound. He closed his eyes and growled softly. This could mean only one thing. "Nuala."

-------------------------------------

The compound had buzzed nonstop for the nine days that Titania and Nuada had been beneath the city. The operatives sent to Ireland and England had found nothing. Reports of combing areas and searching every inch of the landscape with all available equipment had proven to be useless. Welf had grown impatient, asking questions aimed toward the princess at every morning gathering. Abe had found it odd that the man had begun requiring her to attend the meetings in the first place. She was neither a member of the team, nor able to give him the information on her brother that the man requested. It was almost as if Welf wanted the prince more earnestly than Manning. Manning had been well sedated and kept for observation on the night of Titania being taken. Once he had been released, the man slipped a tablet besides the antacid into his mouth every so often and had very little of the anxious emotions that were juxtaposed with his presence. The team found themselves pacing back and forth every so often, angered that they hadn't decided more firmly to take the search for Titania into their own hands. This led to unusual hot tempers and snapping at one another even from the mild natured Abraham. Nuala seemed distracted by thoughts of her brother and trying to focus on his location. She repeated vehemently that her brother was not thinking at all about harming the girl, but that did not assuage any fear in the others at all. Things were seeming darker and more desperate by the day. On the ninth evening, the group gathered in the library, now fully intending to take an excursion to the troll market themselves. Dr. Krauss stood in the corner, repeating to himself where they had found the entrance and the combination he had found for the lock.

"When should we head out, then?" Liz asked.

"The men can do this," Red announced looking down at his wife with apprehension. "Someone's going to need to stay here and guard the princess."

"Manning can do that," Liz reasoned firmly, raising a brow at her husband for emphasis. Red groaned, rolling his eyes at the pyro's sarcastic suggestion. "It's not like he can go anywhere as wasted as he is."

"And we're going to leave the sister and nephew of the psychopathic freak we're going after in his care?" Red shot back. Liz glared at him angrily; silently demanding that she be allowed to accompany them. "Come on, babe. There's not going to be a lot of action until we get him back here."

"If we retrieve him," Abe interjected. Nuala stood beside him, clinging to his arm with a measure of unfocused dread in her eyes. "It might be best to simply retrieve Titania, she is our focal point."

"We're not going to leave him running around free," Red corrected. "There's no arguing that, alright?"

"So, what, you're just going to go out there, conk him on the head and drag him back?" Liz asked angrily.

"That's assuming that you know where he is," a cold voice said from the doorway. The group turned to face the entirely unwanted form of Welf. A female operative carrying a large metal box with the universal 'biohazard' symbol stood nearby the bureau's current despot. He sneered at the team. "You wouldn't leave the facility with knowledge of the location of a paranormal criminal, would you?"

"Of course not," Dr. Krauss said angrily. Where was Jenna? She had not returned at all in the past few days and it was becoming obvious to the entity that the longer Welf had free run of the facility, the more danger existed not only for the current team, but for creatures like Nuada that were on the outside and unaware of the impending 'witch hunt' that would inevitably follow. "We were discussing possible locations for a local search and rescue, meine herr."

"A noble gesture, but unnecessary," Welf shot back. He turned to Nuala who looked down in terror. Leopold lay sleeping in his crib and had been very docile by comparison to the adults around him for the past few days. The agent stared at the she-elf triumphantly. "There were a few abnormalities in your blood-work, your highness."

Abe moved Nuala behind him and stared firmly at the man. "My wife is not an agent of this bureau and is not required to adhere to the mandates set down by . . ."

"She is a resident of this facility and family of a current agent," Welf shouted in reply. Abe grew silent and stared back at the man in horror. "It is a shame that all of this commotion has created such a stressful environment for Doctor Manning. It is fortunate for all of you that I was able to assume command and keep this branch from being put in the hands of another less considerate agent."

"Temporarily," Red corrected. Welf shot him an angry look, doing his best to keep his gaze fixed on Nuala.

"Regardless of what is going on outside these walls, I will continue to make sure that things stay as smooth for us as possible," he said. Abe frowned and glanced towards Red and Liz with apprehension. "That will mean cooperation on everyone's behalf and no secrets. Am I clear?"

"You really think that what you say to us makes a difference?" Red laughed. "I barely care what Manning says, what makes you think you'll be any better?"

"I wonder if we might ask you to accompany Nuala to the medical ward, Agent Sherman," Welf said ignoring the demon's words. "I believe you are in need of a once over yourself. One can't be too careful for the children's sake, can they?"

Liz glared at the man. He had discovered her condition and had not ceased to bring it up as a point of conversation when demanding that the team do as he asked. She frowned and walked towards Nuala. The elf looked at her uneasily. The pyro shook her head and placed a hand on her friends' shoulder soothingly. "Let's go, we'll get this over with and then come back to finish what we were _discussing_," she said softly. Nuala nodded once in acknowledgment but said nothing as she and Liz left the room. Welf looked around at the three creatures left standing in the room with him.

"I understand that Doctor Manning's style of leadership was somewhat lassiez-faire by comparison to my own and that adjusting to it may be a little difficult for all of you." He strode over to Abe and glanced simultaneously at Dr. Krauss. "But I assure you, gentlemen, that when you work alongside me you will see nothing but results. I am nothing if not efficient." He turned towards Red and glared harshly as he began walking towards him slowly. "But, you will find that I am efficient all the sooner if you stand in my way or try to do anything to undermine my hard work. Am I clear?" He stopped a few inches from the demon's face, narrowing his eyes hatefully at him. "Well?"

"I got it; go with the flow or else," Red muttered. He moved to the side and began walking slowly towards the door. "Hey, Abe, I'm going to go and see about Manning. If you want to come along . . ."

A shrill scream from across the building cut the demon's words short. Abe froze and listened carefully; not for another scream, but for the sound of his beloved's heartbeat. He could hear even from this distance that her pulse had become thunderous with anxiety. The scream had most definitely been from pain. He breathed deeply and hurried to the door. Nuala had been very weak and ill for several days after the simple blood test had been conducted. He theorized that this was because she had never lost so much precious fluid in all of her life. Whatever Welf was trying to discover in her blood, it was going to prove fatal for her if he didn't intercede. Red frowned and followed after his friend. This had to end.

----------------------------------

Titania knelt beside Nuada as he sat on the edge of the bed, clutching his arm and trying to stop the flow of life. Puck appeared in the doorway. He gasped.

"Oh my! Sire!" the creature cried out. Titania turned to him frantically. "What happened?!"

"I don't know," Titania replied as Nuada breathed deeply. Blood was coursing uncontrollably. He groaned and clutched the wound more tightly. "Go and get a doctor, a physician, someone."

The pwca nodded and bounded out to the staircase. The prince looked down at his arm, trying to understand what must have befallen his sister. There was no cut, no gash, no marking to indicate that they were torturing her or that she had been wounded in trying to escape. What could have caused this? He tilted his head backward and breathed slowly, willing his presence of mind to stay intact despite the confusion and worry. Titania watched him, frowning.

"Whatever they have done to my sister, she must be terribly frightened," he said softly.

"Maybe they're drawing blood for something," Titania offered, though she wasn't sure why they would take blood from a perfectly healthy non-human being. The bleeding was slowing, but not enough. She frowned. "I'm going to go get a cloth. Wait here."

He nodded and clutched his arm all the tighter. Loss of blood was more significant for his kind. It infuriated him that he would need to do any recovery with the final battle being so close by. He groaned and tried to concentrate on sending all the energy he could to the wound. What would create a need for his sister's blood? Would they use it to try and locate him? None of this made sense at the moment. He glanced out past the curtain and watched as Titania knelt near one of the open cabinets, withdrawing a small bundle of cloth. The prince's eyes suddenly widened in horror. The girl stood and turned back to the bed chamber, freezing as another being met her gaze. She dropped the cloth and stepped backwards. Nuada's mind raced as the creature moved closer to her. Titania would not be able to recognize this fiend right off as humans had never quite understood how to describe an ogre. He reached for his spear, feeling a twinge of nausea rush through him. Oberon had discovered their location.

"Very well, then. The battle begins sooner than I had hoped," he muttered to himself as he silently moved behind the creature. "But I am ready."


	34. Exit At Your Own Risk

_(((Okay, only four chapters left and a lot of action to cover. Hope everyone is still enjoying this and is looking forward to reading about an all out war between the loyal magical creatures and those of darkness!)))_

**Chapter 3**

Oberon sat patiently on his throne, smiling brightly as Gilbreth and Grindel entered the throne room. He straightened himself and stood, majestically waving towards them both. The lords of the trolls and ogres bowed slightly, grunting and snorting instinctively.

"What news, then?" Oberon asked with a wicked smile.

Grindel growled. "I have gathered all of the traitors, including Jareth, beneath the stones. They are imprisoned, my king, until they swear loyalty to us once more," the troll snarled as he lowered himself. Oberon smiled brightly. Nuada should have known better than to simply tell his forces to gather in a place as open as the Salisbury Plain. Jareth was easily overcome, as were the lumbering creatures that Nuada had recruited from a distance. All of the trolls, ogres, and other unsavoury soldiers that the prince had recruited and sent across the sea had also been taken prisoner. Jareth had allowed this and put up less than a simple struggle. He wanted the dark king to have felt victorious before enacting a most brilliant plan. Nuada surely would be able to recognize this before arriving. "We await your command."

"And what of you?" the dark faerie asked the ogre. Gilbreth licked his slimy lips and shifted.

"Prince Nuada has sought refuge in the Troll Market with the human girl," Gilbreth replied. Oberon's eyes flashed with excitement. Gilbreth suppressed an excited laugh as he continued. "I learned this only yesterday, sire, and this morning I sent three of my men to find them both and retrieve them."

"No," Oberon interjected angrily. Gilbreth frowned and stepped backwards a pace as the king's face grew red with anger. "The prince must retrieve the demon. It is the only way to ensure that I have what I need to use the cauldron. It is why I did not send forces sooner, you twit. I knew of your plan before you entered this throne room; terribly predictable." Grindel snickered triumphantly as Gilbreth growled and scratched his filthy head. Oberon looked upward and shrieked for one of the faerie servants to come immediately. In a flash, a young faerie messenger clad in bone and steel landed a few feet from the king, bowing low. Oberon smirked. "Go to the troll market and inform the ogres laying siege to Prince Nuada that they are to wound him into unconsciousness and retrieve the girl only. All others around them, kill."

"Yes, your majesty," the faerie chirped. Oberon waved one hand and pointed towards the exit. The faerie had headed off toward the outside before being given the command, desiring to meet Oberon's desires before they were aged enough to be voiced. The faerie king's patience was wearing thinner and thinner by the day especially as the opportunity to retrieve the tools needed to wield his greatest weapon were so close to him possessing them. Nuada would be at the receiving end of Oberon's wrath soon enough and would see it at a grander scale than any creature in history.

-------------------------------------------

Abe raced into the medical wing as quickly as he could, not at all seeing what was going on in the hallway as he ran. Nuala's scream was fading into sobbing that directing his steps. The she-elf must have been in not only a great deal of pain, but felt that her very life was threatened to have shouted so. Abe's eyes finally focused as he entered the room. Liz glanced up at him as she held onto Nuala's arm. The nurse in the room sputtered apologies as she fished through a nearby drawer of supplies for more gauze.

"The vein was fine . . . I didn't know . . . I thought I was being careful," the nurse stammered as she began applying pressure beside Liz's hand. Nuala sobbed heavily; staring off into nothing and not even looking down at the wound. Abe moved forward, taking the nurse by the shoulders and (as gently as he could manage) pushed her aside.

"I have medical training. I can handle this if you will go and get more cloth and some sort of fluid for her," he said firmly. The nurse nodded quickly and hurried out of the room. Liz turned to her friend and frowned. "What happened?"

"The nurse went to draw more blood, the needle was in, and all of a sudden Nuala freaked out, then the nurse jerked and nicked the vein and, well, now you're here," the pyro explained. "I've asked her like three times why she cried out in the first place, but she's staring off like that and not responding."

"She might be in shock," Abe said as he looked down at the blood-soaked bandaging. The bleeding had slowed and was near stopping. He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded towards Liz. "Would you please go and make sure that Leopold is alright? I didn't have time to . . ."

"You left your baby with that weirdo in the room?!" Liz exclaimed. Abe frowned at her, explaining silently that he had thought only about Nuala's safety when leaving the library and nothing else. The door to the room swung open once more. Liz and Abe looked up to see Red enter the room. Liz sighed heavily and stood. "Don't thank me for acting so quickly," she muttered as she moved towards her husband. Being so denied earlier in the evening had created a rather foul atmosphere for the young woman. The demon reached one arm out for the woman, only to have her push past him muttering angrily, muttering something about 'the men taking care of things' as she wandered back toward the library.

"What's going on?" Red asked as he turned back to Abe.

Abe was looking deeply into Nuala's eyes as he gently put another square of gauze on the wound. He frowned. What could have startled a princess enough to startle a nurse? He gently touched the side of her face. She turned to him, her yellowed eyes staring into his with shock. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"A vision," she replied softly. Abe glanced down at the wound then back into her eyes with confusion. "My brother . . . our link . . . he is in danger."

"Danger?" Red said with urgency building in his mind. "Forget him, what about Tania? Where is she? Is she in danger?"

"She is," Nuala replied. She blinked once and looked down, shaking her head once as the normal orange of her eyes returned. Abe stroked her head gently as she breathed and clutched her arm. "I feel cold."

"It's shock setting in. You lost a little blood, but it's nothing you can't replenish quickly." Abe pulled the gauze away and examined the scab quickly forming over the wound. He smiled and patted her shoulder tenderly. "You see? Your body repairs very quickly."

"What about Tania? What about the vision?" Red interjected quickly. Nuala turned to him in confusion. He frowned. "You don't remember it, do you?"

Nuala turned to Abraham in concern. "Did I see something?" Abe frowned. Nuala had told him that her people had visions, insights, and other forms of scrye that tended to fade without an interpreter present. He was obviously not equipped to interpret at any given moment. The vision, he hoped, did not hold something sinister for the near future.

--------------------------

Nuada slammed the hilt of the spear into the ogre's head, sending it to the ground. The ogre groaned and lay still as unconsciousness took it. Titania shrieked and leapt out of the way. The prince took her by the hand, trembling as he grasped her wrist. She looked up at him and gasped.

"I can't believe this, but I think you're actually even more pale," she said as she looked back down at the ogre. "I can't believe you got it off guard like that while you're not at your best."

"Ogres are silent, but they are stupid," the prince replied as he gasped for breath. "Their skulls are soft. If you can land a good, harsh blow to the back of their head, then they'll go right out." Titania simply nodded and watched the prince carefully. Ravi grunted from the corner of the room and sauntered over to the fallen ogre, sniffing it carefully. He drew his head back after a moment and hissed loudly at the foul odour. Nuada smirked as he led Titania back over to the wall near the curtain and leaned against it. It did not take a substantial amount of blood to be lost to weaken an elf and it was quite a task to reach their veins. Whatever had happened to his sister had been done by someone intent and equipped to do harm. "It seems animals are as capable as any wise-man in detecting foul magic."

"They can always sense evil," Titania added. She breathed deeply and began examining his arm as best she could in the dim light of the apartment. "This looks like it's stopped for now. I think maybe your sister was . . . well . . . I'm not sure. But, I do know that Abe wouldn't let anything bad happen to her if they're together. He must really love her."

Nuada shook his head. He refused to believe that a creature like Abraham, a creature that was not even human, could possibly take care of his sister and show her love. She pitied him, that was all there was to their love, to their marriage. He gathered his strength and stood upright. The feeling of blood loss made him more cold than weak and cold was something he could tolerate very well. "Wait here," he said firmly, patting the girl's hand. He glanced over at Ravi. "You as well."

"What are you going to do?" Titania asked in confusion. Nuada began moving slowly towards the form of the fallen ogre. Ravi snorted and sat down, his tail twitching uncomfortably as he gazed into the rest of the open subway behind the prince. The elf knelt beside the ogre and reached down for the creature's face, turning it over. "What is it?"

"It appears to be a failed assassin," Nuada said as he looked over the gruesome face of the creature, its lip having split as it fell and green blood now pouring over its bottom teeth which protruded from its jaw-line menacingly. "Oberon might have sent it, though I do not know how he would have learned of our location."

"Spies, Nuada, he probably sent spies. I was thinking that might happen," Titania explained. "In fact, I'm surprised that we've been here for ten days and nothing else like this has happened."

The sound of hooves scratching against the pavement suddenly caught the prince's attention. He turned toward the open subway and frowned. Something else was still waiting for them. He frowned and stood slowly. Titania narrowed her eyes as she saw the prince's form grow rigid with focus. She breathed deeply and stepped backwards. Ravi grunted and headed off in the same direction. Nuada didn't seem too concerned by this and continued to advance slowly. Titania refrained from calling after the tiger, now having faith in the prince to take care of the tiger as well as he had taken care of her. The familiar sound of thumping and panicked yelps caught Titania's attention. She turned toward the staircase as Puck tumbled head first down the stairs. He groaned and clutched his head, cursing his enormous feet in either form. Titania raced over to him and helped him stand, checking his head for any truly noticeable wounds.

"Oooh, the physician should be here in a moment," he announced through gritted teeth. He hissed as he exhaled, trying to ignore the burning pain that radiated through his head even through his eyes. Puck raised his ears as he heard the prince extend the length of his spear and take a cautious pose. The pwca frowned and looked towards Titania then at the ogre. He gasped and scooted backward, placing his hands defensively on the girl. "Stay back, Titania, you don't know where it's been or what could still be controlling it."

"It's unconscious, Puck," she remarked. The pwca frowned and lowered his head as the form of the prince disappeared into the shadows beyond. "I wonder what he's going after."

"Well, whatever it is, I doubt it is prepared to face him," Puck said proudly. He folded his arms firmly as Titania moved a little closer to the centre of the apartment, trying to keep as much of the prince in view as she could. "No one has the military skill to match Prince Nuada."

"Truly?" a gravelly voice rasped from not far. Puck and Titania turned simultaneously, gazing in horror as another ogre moved towards them from the subway. The two moved backwards. The ogre smiled, drool dripping from his wicked display of early celebration. "I've never thought of a general leaving a flank wide open."

"Prince . . ." Puck began to shout. The ogre snarled and threw a dagger firmly at the pwca. Puck felt a sharp sting between his shoulders as the blade landed deeply in him. Titania screamed in horror and caught him. She turned back to the ogre angrily as Puck gasped for breath. The creature pulled an enormous cleaver from its belt.

"That'll make a fancy handkerchief," he laughed. Titania screamed angrily and flew at the creature, fists flailing thoughtlessly. She managed to firmly hit the ogre's face and neck twice, but no real damage could be done. It was too tall for her to readily strike its skull and it was far too quick and powerful for her to get as good an aim in as the prince. It laughed more cruelly and reached down to its belt once more, withdrawing a length of rope. "It'll have to wait I suppose," he grunted as he took hold of the girl and began hurriedly wrapping the rope around her arms. Titania fought the creature madly and screamed for the prince with all of her breath. The ogre snorted in frustration. "Don't fuss, now, Oberon's been waiting a good few days for you."

"Nuada! Help me!" Titania shrieked as the ogre finished tying a thorough knot around the rope's ends. She continued trying desperately to get free of the ogre and somehow hit it on the head. "Nuada!"

From the distance within the subway, the prince heard the girl's calling. He had ventured quite a ways off, following what was surely the scent and sound of another assassin. He grunted in frustration, raising the spear as he headed back for the apartment. Ravi was nowhere in sight, but that was not a concern for the time being. He raced back to where he had left the girl, skidding to a halt as he saw the ogre place its large fingers around the girl's neck and lift her off the ground. He growled and lunged towards the creature with the edge of the spear, aiming for an unprotected area below the creature's heart. The ogre noticed the prince and knelt, still holding onto the girl. Nuada acted quickly in response, turning and swinging the spear so that the edge hit the ogre's face instead of missing entirely. The ogre grunted and stood, shaking its head. Titania gasped and closed her eyes as she felt the last few precious measures of breath leave her. Nuada noticed her form grow very still. His heart raced madly.

"Now you've stalled me _and_ made me angry," the ogre snarled.

"I'll do more than that," the prince hissed.

The ogre snarled as the prince reared back and leapt forward, sprinting into the air with the spear's edge aimed at the ogre's head. He breathed deeply and gripped the hilt as he felt the air rush past him. The ogre leaned forward, then suddenly reached up and took hold of the spear's edge. Blood began coursing from a cut on the ogre's hand as Nuada landed. The prince frowned, but congratulated himself on doing some amount of harm to the creature. It set Titania on the floor and turned, raising both fists in readiness. Nuada turned as well, twirling the spear around his waist three times intimidatingly. A loud groan caught his attention. He glanced to the side for a moment, suddenly noticing the sight of Puck with the dagger protruding from his back.

"No," he gasped and instinctively hesitated a moment, still glancing towards his fallen friend. "Puck." He turned back to the ogre, his face twisted in sheer rage. "You'll pay for this."

"I'm done wasting time," the ogre roared. He reached down, taking Titania in one arm and heaving her over his enormous, grimey shoulder. "Come at me once more. I need a good shot."

Nuada shouted angrily and took one more leap at the creature, this time less coordinated with the rage that had filled him. The ogre knelt and thrust one fist into the air, smiling brightly as he felt his hand collide harshly with the prince's chest. Nuada gasped and coughed loudly as he toppled over the ogre and onto the ground. He managed to climb back to his hands and knees as the ogre turned and called for a companion that had come with him. He frowned as the prince swayed, still in the same position, but the third ogre did not answer. Nuada tried to stand, drawing in a deep breath to try and force his vision past the colours and shapes spinning in front of him. The ogre walked over to the kneeling prince and raised a fist over the elf's head, ready to deal a blow that would shatter the prince's firm skull. A flash of brilliant white stopped the ogre. Nuada could not see what was transpiring between the ogre and the strange creature that had now appeared in the room. The ogre frowned and began walking away, his hoof-beats landing heavily on the prince's ears. He raised himself and started after the creature.

"Titania," he muttered. He turned and watched the 'light creature' moving towards Puck. He groaned loudly and forced himself to move toward it, raising a hand to strike it. The faerie shrieked and flew away quickly, dropping a small scroll of parchment as it flew. Nuada did not reach for the parchment. He was in a monumental amount of pain and was finding it difficult to keep breath in his lungs for more than a few seconds. Something had been harmed within him and it would take a skilled elf-healer to help him. In the meantime, he could see to his friend. Surely he had not seen the pwca correctly and the dagger was not so deeply set. He scooted over the fallen rabbit-faerie's body. His more human form was still in place as he turned him over. Puck groaned weakly. Nuada could barely find the strength to speak to him, but simply gasped and tried to focus his vision instead. He should have taken Titania to the elves days ago; he should have gone back across the sea and seen to the troops himself by now; he shouldn't have allowed distractions. What had he done?

"Oh, sire," Puck groaned as he looked up at the elf. His brown eyes span madly, stopping for a moment as a soft haze began to settle over them. Nuada felt a chill move through him recognizing the haze. He wanted to shout at his friend, to demand that he cling to life until he could do something. He had not felt so helpless in years. He reached out one trembling hand to the pwca and felt the world shift beneath him as breath became even more scarce within him. "Sire, you should lie down. You look awful," the pwca muttered with a look of sadness at his master. Nuada trembled and tried to keep consciousness from slipping. Puck likely had only moments left to speak with him and he didn't want this to be the end. If he could just keep himself awake, he could keep Puck alive. "The physician will be here in a moment, sire. After that, you . . ."

Nuada screamed internally, his own voice resonating in his mind as the sight of the pwca faded into darkness. There was no sound, no warmth, no cold, nothing in this darkness. There was less in this void than there had been in his death. He struggled to try and surface, flailing what he thought were his limbs as he drifted. Was he still beneath the market? Did he still have limbs? There was no knowing how much time had passed between falling into the darkness and the moment he saw a speck of light in the distance. The elf felt warmth beginning to slowly overtake him as he furiously tried to move towards the glow. Whatever it was, no matter what it was, it had to be better than the void.

"Your highness?" the voice of an unfamiliar she-elf said in the distance. Nuada smiled inwardly. He had a sight and a sound to move towards now. He now felt at least his arms, the shape and strength of them return. He pushed them forward and drew as much of the darkness behind him as possible, swimming forward into the void. The light grew brighter, the warmth grew stronger, and the voice became louder. "Your highness?"

"Titania . . . Puck . . . " the prince muttered as he tried to focus the renewed senses. He centered himself, realizing that he could now sense his legs, his head, and the rest of him properly aligned and regaining their own strength. As he opened his eyes, he could make out the form of a strange room. There were three tapestries on three walls, but five surrounded him. The colour, atmosphere, and scent all felt exactly like the home that Balor had made for himself and his sister near the rail-yard council chamber. He groaned and tried to sit upright, feeling a cool hand come to rest on his shoulder. "Where am I?"

"The changeling physician, Larce, brought you back to us, sire. You are home, now. He said that you had been attacked by an ogre. A faerie from Oberon left a message and claimed that you are running from him," the she elf explained as quickly as she could. "I must say that it is truly a marvel that you did not fade from us like the pwca. The bones about your heart and breath were quite injured. It took a great deal of Clionatha's wine to bring you back to your senses. You've been asleep for a good day and a half now."

"Over a day? Oberon? A faerie?" he groaned, grasping his head. He glanced around the room, past the she elf. Yes, this was what his father had meant to be home. He hadn't been back to this particular room in centuries. This had been his own bedchamber, but why any of the other elves had offered him assistance without question was a little strange to him. They owed him their service and loyalty regardless of his crime, but the thought that the creature that had killed their king was helpless and dying must have crossed their minds. He sighed heavily. Had Titania truly been taken? Where was Ravi? And what had happened to Puck? He began to mumble these questions over and over aloud.

"Titania? Ravi? You're a little woozy, sire. As for the pwca, he departed after they found this scroll beside him," the she elf said as she handed him a piece of parchment. "Does this mean anything to you, sire?"

The prince found himself returning fully as he took the parchment in his hand, raising himself on one elbow as he read.

Prince Nuada Silverlance,

The Gael's heir is in my possession. I find myself in need of the demon, Anung un Rama. Bring him to me, alive, and I will release the human into your possession. Do not speak a word to her father, for I know that he is nearby and that you will contemplate enlisting his aid. Attempt to deceive me and I will use whatever means necessary to eradicate your family most permanently and the human will suffer until death. I give you three days, then I will send another and the afore mentioned punishment will find you swiftly.

King Oberon, Lord of the Nightlands and leader of its peoples

"The message was strange to all of us, sire," the she-elf continued. "The pwca seemed far too disoriented to try and decipher it before he passed."

Nuada sat upright at hearing this. He stared harshly at the she-elf bowing before him. "What are you saying? Where is Puck?" he demanded. "Where?"

The she elf swallowed hard and turned her head. "The earth seems to have taken his spirit, sire," she replied sadly. "He was loath to go, but he was in no condition to stay any longer. He will be at peace now."

Nuada felt the ache in his heart for Titania grow to something magnificent at the mention of yet another fallen friend. He breathed heavily, suddenly unable to hold himself upright. The she elf moved forward and caught him, leaning him against her chest. The prince gripped both of his subject's arms tightly with his as angry tears began streaming from his eyes, sharp breaths escaping unevenly. The she-elf gently placed a hand on the back of his head as he closed both eyes and grew silent. First Wink had been lost to his foolishness, now Titania was at the mercy of Oberon and dear Puck had been slain. What sort of leader had he become? Could he not even sustain the lives of his companions? He squeezed his eyes closed more tightly, drawing himself up to standing. The she elf backed away and watched as he walked towards a nearby tapestry. He opened his eyes for a moment, staring at the portrait. A circle of magical beings surrounding a dying fawn with an arrow protruding from its heart, willing it to heal; a famous portrait used by apothecaries and physicians in the market. He breathed deeply and reached out to the form of the fawn, softly stroking its face. As his fingers grazed the woven strands, rage welled within him. His visage twisted into sorrow fueled hatred as he clasped the cloth furiously and ripped it free of the wall, screaming madly as he threw it behind him.

"Your highness, there is someone that has wished to see you for several moments now," the she elf said anxiously. Nuada growled and placed one hand against the wall, steadying himself. "She cannot stay but for a few moments and is growing rather impatient."

"Then do not stand there telling me about it, send her in and be done with it!" he shouted angrily. The she elf trembled and bowed low. "Now!"

"Yes, sire," she replied softly. Nuada heard the female slip out of the room and close the door softly behind her. He panted heavily, grasping his chest as his heart began to throb painfully. It felt as if a dagger had been forced in at a terrible angle and remained lodged within its tender centre. He groaned and allowed himself to sob more freely. He had not been given time to mourn his father, Wink, and now he would be denied the mourning of Puck. For a time, he told himself. Puck would not see anyone mourn if it cost anything from Titania. The stab grew into a hot sting at the thought of her. What had he done, bringing her to the market first? He should have brought her straightaway to the elves here.

"The past is hardly a place to find solace before completing a task that brought so much heartache in the first place," an old and seasoned voice announced. Nuada froze and looked around; unable at the moment to determine the source of the voice. The gender was clear, this was a female as well, but somewhat older and definitely not an elf. "You seem hell-bent on destroying the future in the name of the evils of the past." A rustling came from the far corner of the room where another tapestry of a large pile of library scrolls lay unscathed. Nuada watched in amazement as the picture warped and pulsed for several seconds. The mound of scrolls suddenly moved forward and began to advance toward him. "That seems a little silly, doesn't it?"

"Who are you?" Nuada demanded angrily. He reached to his side, instinctively reaching for the weapon that should have preserved the pwca.

"Really, my prince, is that any way to treat an equal?" the voice said indignantly. Nuada watched, still grasping at nothing, as two feminine hands reached out from the piles of parchment and parted them into two sections. He gasped and stepped backward as a familiar figure stepped forward. The figure was still clad in parchments of many colours forming her gown . Papery hair, parchment formed finger-curls, shaped a face of weathered wisdom. The skin on this woman was the colour of parchment; crinkled and veined with words, incantations and proverbs, inked in thin black calligraphy. Her eyes were glowing violet orbs that seemed to float independently of her form, lingering where they would be on any other creature by choice. Her paper lips curled into a smile as she moved towards him. "Or perhaps you might still consider me a superior?"

"Lady Modron," he whispered, bowing. "Please tell me that you have come to offer your power, your great strength to retrieve my friends and protect them as I continue in reclaiming the throne."

"I have not," the Modron said firmly. The elf growled, clenching his fist around the invisible hilt and turning away. "I have come to offer you a more sensible solution, something the Morrighan should have offered you from the beginning had her own selfishness not clouded her vision."

"Then you never meant for me to complete the tasks?" he said sadly.

"I did not mean for you to remain in the forest at all, my prince," the Modron replied. Nuada growled softly, composing himself in order to remain able to speak. "The Morrighan would see Oberon destroyed, but only at the cost of your life. I would see you live on for many, many centuries."

"What?" he asked in confusion. Wasn't living what all of his kind aspired to do?

"Your father was foolish in many ways as king and as an elf, but he gained wisdom in choosing to live as he had these past years," she replied. Nuada felt a renewed heat within him. Even the Morrighan had agreed with the prince in thinking that Balor had showed cowardice, not wisdom in his life beneath the humans. "The sisterhood, like many of the last gatherings of our kind, has lived in silence and in secret for as long as your family have lived across the sea. We continue our legacy through our prudency. I suggest that you claim your rightful place as ruler among the last of your subjects here and do the same. It will be a most fitting and peaceful life."

"You wish me to forgo the right to the throne of my realm?" Nuada exclaimed.

"This is your realm now, Nuada," the Modron countered. "You cannot stand against Oberon. You could not stand against a demon stunted by humans."

The prince growled loudly and raised his hands to his chest, fighting away the urge to let out all frustrations, physically, now. "You would have me hide, you would have me . . . fade into nothing."

"The sisters that have assisted you thus far have been reprimanded for breaking their silence, it was never meant to be. The Ceridwen sends her regret that they deceived you," the Modron replied. "Oberon's treachery has weighed heavily on them, but it will be minimized if he knows that you will not stand against him."

"But ,Titania," he whispered.

"The human girl is beyond your help, Nuada. Even should you succeed there is no telling what he has done to her already," the Modron continued. Nuada looked back towards the nightstand and the parchment from Oberon that lay on it. He snarled and glanced back at the Modron with nothing short of disgust. "I can promise that the Morrighan will take her spirit quickly and give her a painless death."

"**NO!**" the elf shouted angrily, this time moving to stand directly in front of the Modron. He seethed and trembled, restraining all raw energy that burned within from the wounded warrior. "I will not relinquish my right to rule. I will not abandon my people! I will not lose Titania! I will not fade!"

"You cannot hope to accomplish anything short of a death sentence for yourself and your sister with such foolishness," the Modron said calmly and firmly. "Resignation for current defeat is the only way you will have peace."

"Peace is not the absence of all conflict," he quoted aloud. "It is the presence of the divine. There is nothing divine about what you suggest, Lady Modron. Where is the courage the sisterhood displayed in the days of old?! Where is the honour? What have you done to yourselves?"

"We have chosen to survive, Nuada, do not judge us harshly for that," she said as anger began to grow into a hot indigo in her eyes. "Survival often means forgetting courage for something logical to keep our kind alive."

"To what kind of life?" the prince countered as he moved to the door. "You wish to survive? Then so be it, but I wish to thrive and I wish the same for all of my people." The Modron narrowed her eyes inquisitively at him as he opened the door and called into the hallway for the she-elf that had tended to him a moment before. In a blink, the she-elf stood before him and bowed, asking what he required. "Bring me my weaponry and proper attire. I go to find the demon, Anung un Rama at once. Hurry."

The girl nodded and quickly headed back down the hall. The Modron laughed and strode toward him calmly, her skirt rustling against the floor with each step. Nuada heard the hollow scraping and, in his mind, felt that the empty sound was fitting for one so void now of sensibility. He turned back to the nightstand and picked up the parchment, glancing over it once more.

"Do you really expect Oberon to give you the girl once you bring him the demon?" the Modron chided. Nuada ignored her as his weaponry and armour were quickly brought into the room. He pulled on the heavy breastplate and began securing the shoulder gear. "For that matter do you really expect the demon to follow willingly?"

"Neither," he replied simply. The Modron watched him swiftly, methodically, almost fluidly slipping on each and every portion of the armour. He held his spear aloft for a moment before slipping it into the sheath on his back. "The demon is what Oberon needs to wield the cauldron. If he is no longer living, then there is no longer a threat of the deathless few for our kind."

"If you are suggesting that you would slay this demon, then you have forgotten our laws, Nuada," the Modron added hotly. "This demon, as wicked as he was born to be, has never shed innocent blood. If you destroy him, you are doomed to take his place and destroy the earth."

"Only if he is not willing," the elf continued. He picked up his sword and swung it once before him, assuring himself that he had strength for this. "Given his disgusting desire to aid the betterment of humankind, I am quite sure that the thought of sacrificing himself for their safety and the safety of Titania, will be a most wonderful trade for his life."

"This is a madness I had never seen in you, Nuada," she continued with amusement. "The demon would not give his life for such a thing. He thinks as a human thinks; there is always a way to preserve his own life and still preserve theirs."

"Well, then," Nuada said calmly as he grasped the hilt of the sword and slid it firmly into its hilt at his side. He looked up at the Modron triumphantly. "Perhaps he can be of assistance in finding another way." A smile crossed the Modron's face at seeing the prince's resolve; it was something not seen in the magical kingdoms for years. He hesitated in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder at her. "And you may thank the rest of the sisterhood for their deception. It was a pleasant evil."

"Prince Nuada, the sisterhood cannot intervene!" the Modron called after him. He growled softly. He glanced around at the few elves left in the tiny subterranean palace. They were all timid, silent, and very still. This is how the sisterhood would intervene. This is what his people were to become if he did not act now and destroy Oberon. Distractions aside, all of them, his people needed him now. He strode outside, thinking over a multiplicity of different tactics he had been taught when facing off an enemy that had greater numbers and believed that their forces were superior. Three struck him as being acceptable to use for the time being, but they would be useless until he returned to Ireland. He sighed heavily. He hadn't the time to go back and gather a few trolls to follow him to the demon's throne or try and find the tiger.

"The task at hand; find the demon and hurry back to the Stonehenge." He repeated this to himself as he stood in a clearing not far from the rail-yard. Vehicles had worn the ground away harshly, but there were no buildings blocking the breeze or moonlight which were what he needed most at the moment. He drew in a deep breath, trying to remember the exact route he had taken to go and retrieve the crown piece from his sister weeks before. It took a less than a minute for him to recall the entire ordeal as well as the directions. It would take him less than an hour if he ran. He knelt and centered himself once more. This was the calm before the storm; the event that would decide the future of his kingdom was not far now. "The task at hand."

Nuada arrived at the 'hidden' BPRD headquarters within five hours of departing. The compound was just as he had remembered it; dark and self-contained. He had thought upon seeing it for the first time that it would have made a suitable home for bats. He watched the guards at the gate for a moment and felt the urge to dispatch them again. His heart took hold of his mind and soothed it. _Titania would be mortified to hear of you killing them, _he thought. _It is wrong to kill without need_, his conscience added. Nuada felt a deep sense of purpose growing all the greater at the presence of his conscience and the mission to save Titania. Instead, he lowered his voice below what a human could hear and instructed the dogs to run. The dogs barked in acknowledgement and dashed away from their respective keepers. Two of the three men ran after them. Nuada leapt down in front of the gate and stared at the third for a moment. The man instinctively reached for his weapon. The prince quickly reached out and struck the man harshly on the head, causing him to reel forward. When the prince was satisfied that the guard was out, he entered the gate and began scanning with every sense possible for the demon.

---------------------------------------

Nuala and Abraham lay side by side peacefully as the night settled over them. The princess had adjusted to motherhood perfectly while Abraham met the awkward challenge of fatherhood with equal grace. She smiled in her sleep at the family she now had. The peace was shattered by the sudden cries of Leopold. The two sat bolt upright and looked at one another.

"I'll go and see what he needs," Abe offered quickly. He leaned forward, pressing his cheek against the she-elf's cheek. She breathed heavily and leaned backwards, grasping the thin blanket tightly around her as her husband left the room and headed into the adjoining nursery. The library still seemed a strange place to have a nursery, but the air, sounds, and temperature were perfect. It was close enough to the couple's room for them to be able to take care of their son when he needed them, as was the case at the moment.

------------------------------------------

Nuada wandered through the halls unseen and ever vigilant for the sight of an operative or an agent. So far, no one had heard him or noticed the absence of the guards out front. He was amazed at how none of the security measures had been changed after he had proven them ineffective against certain enemies. He suddenly remembered the library where he had discovered his sister upon his last visit. He headed straight for the room and began trying more earnestly to use his senses while pushing the desperation and sorrow he was feeling for Titania's kidnapping and Puck's murder out of his mind. There would be time to avenge and mourn later after the initial rejoicing. He opened the door to the library and quietly walked in. A strange sound suddenly met his ears, stopping him in his tracks. He recognized the sound as that of an infant's cry, but it was not quite human. He narrowed his eyes and instinctively moved in its direction. His nostrils flared as he began to recognize the scent of his own kind. The elf infant; his nephew? He saw a large cradle in the corner, something that had not been here on his last visit. He strode over to it and gazed in, feeling a sense of excitement as a thought presented itself in his mind. The thought burst into a spray of joy as he looked into the cradle. The baby was as pale as stone with purple skin around its tiny eyes and mouth. A royal scar lay across the bridge of its nose and above its cheeks, leading out to its perfectly pointed ears. Nuada nearly wept at the sight of what must have been Nuala's child.

He quickly and gently reached in and took the crying elfling into his arms and softly rocked him for a moment. "Ssssshhhhh, I am here," he soothed. The baby began to calm down as he leaned down and kissed the child's forehead. "I am here. You are safe."

The door at the other end of the room opened slowly. Nuada looked up in surprise as Abraham entered the room. He sighed heavily. He would have to face the fish-man sooner or later. He owed the creature nothing short of cordiality for the moment. A sensible portion of the prince's mind told him to place Nuala's son back in the cradle before going to confront the man. Abraham walked towards the cradle, stopping dead as he suddenly noticed the prince. Electricity fizzled through him as shock overcame him. The very person that had nearly ruined his life was now standing and holding his son. True, the boy was the prince's nephew, but Nuada's previous nature was not synonymous with a tender relative that would visit at any given notice. Abraham began moving quickly towards the prince, feeling an odd need to become violent. Nuada turned and gently laid the baby back into the cradle. As he stood once more, he sensed the anger in the approaching creature. It was inevitable, but it could easily be dealt with given the right words.

Nuada gave a friendly smile as he faced the man. "Abraham," he began. It was the only word uttered before the fish-man punched him fully in the face and sent him flying to the floor past the cradle. Having felt her husband's sudden fear and anxiety, Nuala rose from her bed as quickly as her tired body would allow and hurried into the library. Her blood froze at the sight of Abraham standing a few inches away from her brother while he lay on the floor holding his nose. She gasped.

"What . . . when . . . how?" she stammered as she moved closer to the two of them. She knelt beside her brother and looked up at her husband. Nuada stared in horror and absolute disbelief at his sister; she looked ill. Nuala looked from her brother to her husband in shock. "Abraham, what happened?!"

"I'm not sure. I think I had an outburst. Yes! It must have been an outburst," he reasoned as Nuala began helping her brother stand. Nuada groaned in pain. Nuala turned and gave her husband a look of confusion and slight reproach. "I'm sorry, darling, it's just that he was trying to take Leopold."

Nuala turned to her brother and gave him the same hit that her husband had with twice the force. Nuada fell backwards, now sure that he had broken something as he slid against the wall. He rolled to his side and tried to stand. The sudden and forceful blows to his head were making him dizzy. His vision began to swirl into a colourless vortex. He leaned forward and allowed darkness to take the place of the confusion. He would have to restrain himself from being too cross when he had regained consciousness.


	35. Proper Authority and Update

_(((Sorry to make this another short one. They'll be back in England standing ready to kick Oberon's butt on Monday, everyone. Have a great weekend!))))_

**Chapter 35**

The operatives had quite a time keeping both the demon and his superior, Thomas Manning, from interrupting as they placed Nuada in the detainment area. Nuala and Abraham spoke to one another quietly about a few things that seemed out of place. Abraham was curious about why the princess had not felt or been affected by the blows dealt to her twin, to which Nuala explained that the dwindling link was no longer allowing anything but terrible, deep inflictions to be transferred between them. In fact, it seemed that now it was Nuala's inflictions that were being given to the prince rather than the former years where Nuada's inflictions had made the princess miserable. Nuala asked Abraham exactly what he had seen when entering the room, and the fish-man tried his best to explain while defending his actions. The listening demon and pyrokinetic snickered at the description of their friends' display.

"Wow, Abe, didn't know you had it in you," Red commented with a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. The man frowned and looked away. "What? What is it?"

"He didn't have Titania with him," Abe said with a frown. "It's not going to be an easy task trying to find out from him where she is."

"I say we go and check the market for good measure," Red suggested. Liz placed a hand on her husband's arm.

"I can go in there and ask; I can be very persuasive," the woman offered with a wicked gleam in her eyes. Everyone else in the room frowned at her. She sighed heavily and dropped both arms to her sides. "Fine, you guys come up with something effective."

"My brother wouldn't leave a captive, it wouldn't be prudent, even in the hands of a caretaker," Nuala explained. "We're still not sure that she was truly a captive to begin with. She likely came willingly if she was not frightened, which you say she wasn't."

"That's neither here nor there, the fact is he had her and now she's not with him and no one is answering her phone," Liz added angrily. "We need to act fast, there's no telling what kind of twisted plans he made for her."

"I'll talk to him," Manning offered from the corner of the room in a soft voice. Everyone turned, staring at the man in slight disbelief. "Or Jenna, when she gets back. When is she coming back anyway?" The man stood thoughtlessly and headed towards the door, still appearing to be in a stupor from the sedatives. "I'll ask."

"I don't think that is a good idea, Dr. Manning," Dr. Krauss said stepping more fully into the room as their superior left. The entity had been listening to the conversation from the doorway and was now ready to step in and be heard. "I believe I have a more fitting solution."

"Great, let's hear what the textbook has to say about handling genocidal, pasty freaks of nature," Red muttered. He glanced over at Nuala momentarily. "No offense, your highness."

"There is no set standard for handling a case such as this one. The prince is to be considered a dangerous criminal until cleared of anything surrounding either Titania's disappearance or the incident in Manhattan. Since the one is not likely to occur and the other is entirely impossible, it is left to us to simply question him as humanely as we would any other prisoner." The entity stood proudly, waiting for a response. The entire room remained silent. "Any comments?"

"Yeah, why can't Abe just find out?" Red remarked turning to his friend. "Just put a hand on him and find out where he's hidden her."

"That is rather difficult, Red; he is a magical being and must consent to being subjected to such a thing," he explained. He looked towards Nuala and sighed. The princess had subconsciously given the creature permission to see who she was, not wanting to hide her true self from anyone in earnest, when they had first met. "The prince will be well protected in that regard."

"And, what, you two aren't on speaking terms or something?" the demon asked looking at the she-elf. Nuala frowned and looked away. The demon sighed heavily and shook his head. "Manning's meds are going to run out pretty soon, that will make him the perfect person to find out where his daughter is."

"Again, I insist that we go about this the proper way," Dr. Krauss said proudly with one hand raised for emphasis. "Being the leader of this unit, I will do the questioning. We cannot allow him to see desperation or anger, it will fuel rage and satisfaction. Seeing as I am the only being that will not show these types of emotions, I again will be the only proper candidate to interrogate."

"Something tells me you won't be as thorough as I would be," Liz replied folding her arms angrily. Dr. Krauss turned and pointed a hand at her firmly.

"That's enough, Agent Sherman," he said sternly. "Your anger would get in the way of this investigation."

"Don't tell me, you want us to remain 'fock-used' for this situation, right?" Red laughed. "Fine; I still say we let Manning in there the moment he comes crashing down off the sedative."

The doors to the library swung open gently, allowing in a timid agent from the medical ward. She glanced at the group nervously, obviously not used to either her job or the surroundings at the moment. She cleared her throat and lifted a stack of papers on a clip board up to her eyes, shielding most of her face from the team. She cleared her throat and anxiously focused on Nuala.

"N-N-Nuala Sapien?" she asked softly. Nuala stepped past her husband and nodded to the woman, standing a few feet away. "Your Prince Nuada's sister?"

"His _twin_ sister, my wife," Abe added firmly. "What is this about?"

"I came to give an update to his next of kin," the young woman said quickly. She looked down at the chart, not wanting to lock eyes with the she-elf. "Uh, let's see, he's stable and all of his vital signs look normal. He sustained major wounding to his abdominal and thoracic regions in the past 48 hours, but the heart and lungs are not damaged permanently. The x-rays show that the broken ribs are almost healed and the contusions are also fading very quickly. There seems to be an issue with his blood volume, but Dr. Welf believes . . ."

"Wait, wait, wait," Red interjected. He raised his stone hand and moved towards the young woman, causing her to step back two paces. "Why didn't any of this show up on her? Huh? They share everything, don't they?"

"Only mortal wounds on me, as of late. The link is fading," Nuala said sadly. She looked towards the demon with a frown of disapproval for his interruption. "And it seems that the once stronger link of him to me is now reversed from me to him."

"Translate, Abe," the demon remarked.

"Nuada is no longer the stronger base system for the two, what happens to him will not necessarily happen to Nuala," the man explained. He turned back to the assistant and nodded.

"As I was saying, the blood volume appears to be a little on the low side, and it will start to affect his heartbeat and cerebrovascular function unless the volume can be replenished," she continued. "That's why Dr. Welf opted to take a small sample of hemopoietic tissue."

"He what?!" Abe gasped moving forward. The woman cowered back, raising the chart over her mouth and nose so that only her eyes could be seen. "What does he want with bone marrow?!"

"Oh, uh, well, Dr. Welf says that if they can analyze the issue in the base tissue then they can determine how to improve the blood volume more quickly," she explained, her voice trembling. "They have him ready for the procedure at the moment, he's quite sedated."

"That's awful! They can't do that! It's not medically sound!" Abe shouted angrily, turning to Dr. Krauss in desperation. "You have to do something, Dr. Krauss, they can't allow this!"

"Now, now, Agent Sapien, there may be some benefit to this. After all, the princess has had some loss of blood herself." The entity turned to the young woman and clicked his heels together firmly, trying to assert his own stand a little in front of the others. "Where are they getting the sample from?"

"It's usually the hip area," Liz muttered. "That can't be pleasant."

"Oh, no, they're not going in that deep," the assistant said defensively. The team turned to her in confusion. "Dr. Welf says that the cranium or sternum is perfectly acceptable since it's flat and irregular."

"Great Heavens!" Abe cried. "They're going through the skull!? That will kill him!"

"Well, either the skull or the collar, it all depends on . . ." the assistant stammered. Abe said nothing more and turned, hurrying out of the room as quickly as possible. Red and the others followed after, leaving only Dr. Krauss in the room with her. She stared back at the entity in slight agitation. "Will she be back to sign these?"  
---------------------------------

Nuada could barely remember what had happened since the ordeal in the library. He could vaguely remember voices, the demon's specifically. He had tried to rouse himself at hearing the creature's voice to try and speak to him, but had been entirely unsuccessful; his body still wanting the peace that existed without consciousness. He groaned inwardly remembering more voices, cold, and sharp pain in his neck and arm. There was something going on around him that he was powerless to stop; something that was being controlled by humans and something he was sure was not going to go well for him. Warmth began to return to him ever so slightly as more time passed and the sounds (still unrecognizable and still very bizarre) grew louder. The voices were now distant for the most part, but they were most definitely human. What had he gotten himself into? He shouldn't have come back so unprepared into this compound. He had been more foolish than ever in this.

"It looks like Dr. Welf wants the sample done without any further sedation. Good thing he's still out of it," a voice announced. _What sample? What doctor? Where am I_, the prince thought to himself. "The headgear is secure. Are you sure the order said cranial?"

"Yep," a second voice announced. "We usually use this thing on animals, checking for rabies and all, but he says this will be better for an elf. I'm not sure how he thinks he knows, I sure don't and I've got more experience than he does. I'm not even sure this is an elf."

Nuada groaned and felt warmth moving through him more fully with every pulse of his heart. His breaths were growing more difficult as consciousness returned. He felt a strong wave of nausea move through him as he tried to sit upright. His blood froze for a beat as he realized that he was immobilized. He could not feel rope or chain, but he could feel that he was fully restrained. He calmed himself for a moment, trying to examine silently what was holding him in place and what he could do to free himself. His eyes refused to cooperate for a moment, making it all the more difficult, but as they focused the prince became painfully aware of his surroundings. He was lying flat on a bed of some sort, though obviously not meant for sleeping, and had been completely restrained. Devices of an unknown, and visibly sinister purpose, lay about the room glistening bright silver. He had to get free of this and find the demon.

He lifted one arm, trying to exert as much strength as possible. Once again his wrists and elbows were secured as they had been when Seth had summoned the wolf-bane. Not metal, though, as was usually the way with humans. He pulled one leg towards him, gauging whether or not he could try and summon strength from standing. It was more difficult to tell how he was bound from this perspective, but it was clear that he could not move. The humans that went to the voices he had heard earlier were not yet visible, either. As he tried to look more clearly at the rest of the room, the prince realized that his head was immobilized as well. What was happening? Were the operatives so frightened that they would keep him like this without asking questions? The sight of gray, white, and silver tools were all that he could recognize under very bright lighting in the room. What part of the compound was this?

"Okay, the drill is ready to go," the first voice announced.

_Drill_? The elf knew what this word meant, but something told him that the mentioned equipment was not going to be sent into the earth. His eyes faced centre once more and suddenly noticed the sight of a thin, metal blade aimed toward him. Panic filled him instantly. He groaned and tried to pull free more sternly. What were they planning on doing to him? He suddenly heard a high pitched whirring. The blade in front of him seemed to be quivering ever so slightly. The sound pierced his ear drums, causing pain that equaled receiving a blow to the side of his head. He tried to at least pull his head free, demanding his senses and strength respond to spare him from whatever was about to befall him. His eyes widened in horror as the blade began to slowly move towards him. _Get up! Get up, now! Do something_, he screamed inwardly.

A loud banging suddenly filled the room and a female's voice began shouting towards the other two he had heard in the room upon waking.

"Stop this right now! This is paranormal being exploitation and cruelty," the voice announced firmly. "National mandates just passed have issued protective measures to keep any unwanted and unnatural medical procedures from being inflicted on paranormal beings. Since this elf has not given written or oral consent for this procedure it will be stopped at once and he will be handed over to either myself or Dr. Johann Krauss."

"Damn it," the first voice snarled. The whirring ceased as the prince heard footsteps moving closer to him, angry and yet delicate footsteps. Being still unable to move his head to look around, he tried his best to simply listen closely past the thundering of his heart as it calmed. "What do you think you're doing in here without protective gear? This is a sterile environment!"

"Yeah? Well I hope you're sterile, then. Get those restraints off of him and get him back to a proper containment area, comfortably!" Jenna Finkelstein said folding her arms. The two surgical agents frowned at her, glancing back at the prince and the orders on one of the tables from Welf. She raised one brow commandingly. "Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

"Dr. Welf and Dr. Manning signed these orders this morning to . . ." one of the operatives began.

"Dr. Manning is in no condition to sign documents for medical orders and Dr. Welf does not have the power to authorize this without Dr. Manning's approval," Jenna corrected. She moved to the prince's side and began releasing one of the cuffs around his wrist. "Fine, I'll do it."

As Nuada felt the woman beside him, he found the presence of mind to focus his vision to the side. This was a human female, but not nearly as hollow in her eyes. She had golden blonde hair piled behind her and held tight with a long, silver pin. Her eyes were blue, bright blue that almost pierced the atmosphere around her. She seemed to be taking everything in, including control, as she moved. The elf felt one wrist freed and instinctively lifted his arm. Jenna breathed deeply and removed the remaining restraints as quickly as she could. The prince realized that breathing was easier now and that his thoughts were slowly returning to a suitable pace and consistency.

"This is going on record, you know. You'll never be allowed to assist in this facility . . ." one of the operatives began.

"I'm not assisting, I am representing," Jenna countered angrily. "Now go and make yourself useful. Jump off a bridge or into oncoming traffic. Drilling into a living creature, who would even think up something like this." The woman reached behind the elf and clasped the base of his farthest shoulder tightly, pulling him forward to sit upright. She grunted slightly as he steadied himself and shook his head. "Are you alright? Did they brutalize you? Were you in any way physically or mentally . . ."

"Who are you?" he whispered.

"Jenna Finkelstein, Congressional Representative and Senatorial Spokesperson for Paranormal Beings," she replied with a proud smile. "Who are you? I haven't seen any other elves aside from Nuala Sapien in the compound. Are you related?"

"I am Prince Nuada Silverlance, son of King Balor, Lord of the Nightlands and leader of its peoples," he said slowly and deliberately. He raised his eyes to meet her gaze firmly. "Nuala is my sister."

"I was told, briefly, that you're being held as a criminal for kidnapping and assault," she continued. "Is that true?"

"It must be unless the unspeakable evil you just put an end to is a routine welcome for any creature," he hissed looking at the room with a greater deal of contempt.

"No, I meant are you guilty? Did you kidnap and assault someone?" she asked.

Nuada froze and stared at her in confusion. "You would think me innocent?" he asked.

"Unless proven guilty," she added. The elf smirked and moved forward, feeling strength enough to stand. Unfortunately, the chemical restraints had not been removed as efficiently as the corporeal. Jenna frowned and put both hands firmly on his shoulders, keeping him seated. She had a feeling that it was a blessing for her that he was so incapacitated. He had a fierceness behind the swirling of his eyes that spoke of an ancient warrior who had a century-driven blood lust. Jenna's natural observant nature hadn't been able to penetrate all the facts, but she was able to discern at least a portion of his character just by looking into his eyes. She placed a hand on the side of his head for a moment, hoping to steady him even more before the sedatives allowed the primitive killer free. He reached up and weakly shoved her hand away, staring more harshly at her. He could sense that she didn't mean him any harm and meant to assist him in her own way, but it was not likely in the way that he desired.

"I need to speak to Anung un Rama immediately," he said firmly. Jenna stared back in bewilderment. He glanced to the side, drawing in a deep breath for more strength. "It is a matter of life and death for someone else."

"Someone else?" Jenna asked. "Who?"

"Titania," he replied softly. Perhaps this woman knew of her the way the others did. The woman made no movements or expressions that said she knew her. He frowned. She would know the full name, at least. "Titania Manning."

Jenna's eyes sparked with recognition. She nodded and took him by the arm, urging him to follow without question. She wasn't sure whether or not taking him directly to the rest of the team would be a good idea, but she knew that he wasn't lying. Jenna did not know Titania the way the others did, but she recognized the name. The briefing she had been given upon returning to the compound had described something she found hard to believe. An elf would not keep a human captive, especially one bent on destroying humanity. Jenna found it hard enough to think that an elf would want to destroy humanity. She led the way down the halls, allowing the prince to let whatever weight he could not carry lean on her shoulder. She was strong for a human female. Jenna's eyes narrowed, trying to remember where the group usually congregated. It varied from moment to moment. The library would probably be a better place to look than the conference room. Jenna heard footsteps ahead of them and voices as well.

"Oh, good," she said smiling. "They'll be meeting us halfway."


	36. The Fire Within

_(((Huge thanks to **Reinmarie** for providing music that has helped create these chapters and keep the dialogue as close to the characters in the film as possible. Check out 'Sanctuary For A Lost Prince' if you get the chance. After the end of the next chapter, the story will hopefully conclude happily. Let's continue . . .))))_

**Chapter 36**

Titania could barely remember what had happened over the past few hours. She groaned and clutched her head as she began to awaken. She was lying on a cold, hard surface and the air around her seemed very damp and very cool as well. She drew in a deep breath, recognizing the scent of stone and moss. She found that it was too dark to see anything for the moment, but she could hear sounds of scraping, banging, and talking some distance away and possibly overhead. This was most certainly not the Troll Market and Prince Nuada was definitely not nearby.

"Well, hello there, little girl," a gruff, but enthusiastic brogue said into the darkness. Titania jumped and continued to uselessly look around. Her heart began racing as she heard a scraping and squeaking sound moving closer to her. "I see you've made it through the night without any harm. Jareth moved very quickly to bring you here."

"Jareth," she muttered. Her mind spun furiously until a single thought began to fizzle with realization. "The Goblin King? I'm back in England?"

"Oh, don't be getting too excited, now. You've had quite an ordeal just like the rest of us, though you weren't awake for it. You'll need to rest as much as you can until the prince returns and the battle ensues." The voice was right next to her, now. She breathed heavily and tried to stand. She felt a cold, hardened hand clasp around her wrist and try to keep her in place. "Stay there, lassie, there will be time to do everything we need soon enough."

"Who are you? Where am I? I can't see anything!" Titania exclaimed. She pulled her wrist free of the creature speaking to her. She heard a faint set of footsteps nearby and a strange hiss. The room suddenly filled with bright, orange light. Titania raised her arm to shield her eyes as they adjusted to the light. As she lowered her arm, she realized that not only had she adjusted to the light, the light itself had dimmed. She gasped at the sight of the two creatures now standing near her. One of them, she almost recognized. "Jareth."

"Better?" he asked as he moved his hand away from a section of the wet, stone wall now glistening with a single lit torch. "We must not keep many fires burning until we are more ready to face Oberon. I am glad that I decided to rise and regroup when we did. There's no telling what he would have done to you. The prince must be in a bad way for you to have been captured like this."

Titania scooted backwards away from the other goblin standing near her. The creature wasn't so much standing as sitting with his severed trunk set on a small cart. His grey-green skin was nearly as hard as the stone around them and his horns and ears were as large as his king's and less splendidly decorated. Jareth grinned and walked slowly towards her. Titania scooted backwards, unable to tell whether the goblin lord's smile was in simple amusement or in wicked scheming. He had been, after all, wanting to hand her over to Oberon only a few days ago. Prince Nuada would not be able to defend her now if the goblin still wanted to bow to the dark king's wishes. She backed into a wall, reaching behind her to steady herself as she stood. Jareth stopped and stared at the girl inquisitively as she raised her hands clasped as fists.

"Stay back," she warned in as calm a tone as she could manage. "I _can_ defend myself."

"I have no doubt about that, little girl," Jareth laughed. He narrowed his eyes as the tips of his teeth glistened from beneath the edge of his lip. "But how well you can defend yourself is up for debate. Not that we should discuss that at the moment, there are more pressing matters at hand. We must be as silent and unseen as we can for the next day or so. The prince promised a return within a fortnight, and it grows close to being exactly a fortnight since his, well, your departure."

"We can't wait for him; he's been wounded!" she cried. Jareth smiled more brightly as the girl lifted both hands in exasperation. "We have to get back to the market to help him!"

Jareth laughed loudly and pulled a rapier from his belt. Titania stared at him in confusion for a moment, then glanced down at the blade. The goblin quieted his laughter and motioned for the smithy to leave the small room. As the smith scooted the squeaky cart carrying his extremities from the room, Jareth turned back to Titania and beamed.

"You have such ambition, so like him," the goblin lord remarked with amusement. "But you underestimate the prince's ability to heal and defend. He will not have waited in the market after receiving news of your relocation. He will be on his way as soon as he has gathered a small band of guards and not a moment later. In the meantime," he said smoothly as he moved the hilt of the blade more closely to her, " . . . you will need to learn to use one of these." Titania accepted the hilt cautiously. She gripped it as Jareth removed his hand and stepped backwards. The girl looked slightly confused by the blade, but otherwise simply appeared to be awaiting instruction. Jareth grinned and clapped once. The girl looked up at him as he gestured towards the doorway. "Come, I will be better able to teach you elsewhere."

"Prince Nuada said that you were a treacherous, tasteless, degenerate, but he had no problem accepting you as the commander of his armies," she said softly as she held to the blade and moved carefully out of the room beside him. Jareth scoffed at the words and continued walking without comment. Titania looked away. "Why do you worry about serving him, now? If you were enemies in the past, why try to serve someone from a realm of light instead of Oberon?"

"The goblins fought alongside the elves in the great war with man, we lived peacefully side by side before man's conflict began," he said with a tone of sadness. "We were not enemies, but I am sure that the queen was not cordial in her speech of me when I left the court."

"Why did you leave the court if you weren't an enemy?" Titania continued. Jareth frowned fully and let out a deep sigh.

"I acted on behalf of Oberon for many years, I had sworn an oath after a foolish loss to him," the goblin explained as they moved through dark, and winding hallways that were beneath the cold, stone earth. "I owe the royal family much in the way of penance; I owe Prince Nuada his life."

-------------------------------------

"What in God's name is going on!?" Manning demanded as he rounded the corner before the others. Abe instinctively placed a hand over Nuala and stood away from the man behind the wall. Liz and Red moved past, staring in awe at the sight of Jenna and the elf prince leaning on her for strength. "Get him back in his cell right now!"

"Dr. Manning, he was not in a containment cell when I got him; he was being subjected to . . ." Jenna began defensively.

"I don't care where you got him from, put him back in the containment centre right now!" the man shouted. He placed a hand over his chest and panted heavily. The effects of the last dose of sedatives were wearing off and he was not focused on taking more at the moment. Jenna frowned at him. "Wait a minute," he panted.

"Dr. Manning, did you authorize any medical testing today?" Jenna asked angrily. The man frowned and shook his head as he caught his breath. "Then you need to go and clear up a misunderstanding in the surgical area and with Dr. Welf."

"Where is my daughter?" Manning said softly, finding the stress and fear were pushed aside easily when in the presence of one that could tell him exactly where his child was. Nuada stared at the man in disbelief. This was her father? She looked little like him and less like her mother. He continued looking the man over silently as Manning stood upright and clenched both hands into fists. Red noted this and smirked while Liz glared hatefully at the prince. "Where is she?"

Nuada considered explaining things here and now, but remembered the words on Oberon's parchment. As little as the elf feared the dark king, he did fear for Titania and knew that he would not bluff or make empty threats. The girl's life was dependant on the elf remaining silent in front of her father. He would need to speak to the demon alone. Nuala felt her brother's presence not far from the group and placed a hand over Abe's. The man looked down at his wife as she breathed deeply and strained to look past the corner into the rest of the hallway. Abe took her hand and gently led her to stand beside him behind Liz and Red who still stood firmly behind Manning. Neither brother nor sister could clearly see the other for the moment. The prince breathed deeply and tried to convey a look of regret to the man. Surely a parent who had raised such an attentive and observant child would have the ability to grasp a silent message. Manning glared back at the elf past the look of sincere sorrow.

"**Where is Titania**?! _**Where**_!?" Manning shouted. He started forward. Jenna frowned and carefully took a position in front of the elf as Manning advanced toward them. Nuada felt another wave of nausea overtake him. He groaned and leaned against the wall more than Jenna as she placed a hand out to keep Manning from coming to close. The agent's voice was more loud than any of the others had ever heard in the past."You tell me where she is, _**right now!**_"

"Dr. Manning, I think he might be a little physically unstable. He hasn't fully recovered from the incident that gave him the wounds they discovered earlier, whatever that was, and then to be met with such cruelty," Jenna reasoned. "He says he needs to speak to Agent Hellboy, but I think he might need some down time before then."

Nuada wanted to argue with the woman, but was firstly too tired to do so and secondly not going to say anything in front of Manning even if it wasn't directed at him. It wasn't worth risking Titania's life to simply say 'no'. Instead, he reached forward and gripped Jenna's shoulder. She turned and stared at him in confusion as he drew in a deep breath and stood more fully. The prince lifted his eyes and stared past the woman, Manning, and anything else directly into the demon's. Red frowned and stared back in confusion. What was the prince getting at? He had spoken to Jenna, he must have. Why would he clam up so suddenly?

"He doesn't seem like he wants to chat right now," Liz remarked, trying to get the prince to meet her own hateful gaze. "Maybe we should let Dr. Krauss intervene."

"No one is leaving or doing anything else until I find out where Titania is! So help me, if I don't know in five minutes where she is, I am going to bludgeon him into a new threshold of pain," Manning exclaimed. The group turned at stared at him in disbelief. He had never been so audibly firm or violent. A familiar series of beeps and chirps interrupted Manning's threats and confidence. He fumbled for his cellular phone and pulled it to his ear. "_What_?" he snapped. The group remained almost totally silent as the man frowned, snarled, and grasped the phone more angrily. "Fine, I'll meet her at the entrance to the compound and try to get her somewhere out of the way." Manning clicked the phone back into its off position and then waved it menacingly at Nuada. "Are you happy now? My wife, _ex_-wife, _**EX**_-wife is hysterical and now I-I-I have to go and make sure she doesn't breach security. I'll be back. I'm getting her to my apartment and then I'm coming back for _you_."

"While Dr. Manning is handling the situation with the former Misses Manning, Agent Hellboy you come with me and then you and the prince can . . ." Jenna began firmly.

"Oh, no you don't!" Manning interjected angrily. Jenna gave him a stern look of reproach. He was over the entire team, but he knew that Jenna was more knowledgeable in these matters. It only made sense that the prince wouldn't talk to the father of the girl that he had been accused of kidnapping. She sighed heavily and turned away, continuing to keep a comforting hold on the elf. Manning pointed toward Jenna, Nuada, and then Red in turn. "He goes back to the containment area, no one speaks to him until I am done! Am I clear!?"

"Whatever," Red muttered, not intending at all to allow a perfect opportunity like Manning being absent to go by without trying to pry a confession or some form of information from the elf. Manning stared harshly at the demon for a moment until he was satisfied that the agent wouldn't try to do anything in his absence. Hope sprang eternal in the mind of the man despite being proven time and time again the demon was not going to be controlled or ordered about by anyone now that his father was out of the picture. This had served to be a source of constant stress for Manning that was able to surface now more than ever in the kidnapping of Titania. Red was glad that the prince would be available for Manning instead of the man turning on the agents.

"Good," Manning said. He straightened his jacket and tie while drawing in a very deep breath. Nuada could clearly see the desperation the man was trying to mask, the internal anguish this human was experiencing at the realization he had not been able to protect his only child and that she was now directly in harm's way because of his work. In the state of weakness the prince now found himself in once more, he felt a modicum of the natural compassion that was part of Nuala's daily existence. He felt an ache within him, the novel emotion of guilt, for the creature. He had to say something, a small token to comfort the man or at least allow him a release.

"I am so sorry," the prince whispered.

Manning froze and turned slowly towards the prince. The looks on the faces of the other waiting operatives changed from confused to concerned. Had Nuada truly thought about the way his words would have been taken, he would have chosen more wisely. Manning stared at the being in horror. He knew well that creatures like Nuada were capable of just about anything and that Titania would have been essentially defenseless. Had the prince killed her already? _No_, he thought, _he wouldn't dare show up here if there was a chance of being caught as a murderer. Kidnapper, yes, murderer, no_. Still, it did strike a most unpleasant chord in the man's heart and mind. Without a word, Manning simply turned away from the prince and drew one hand to his chest. Nuada frowned, aware that he had not accomplished anything close to what he had wanted. Manning waited only a fraction of a second before whirling around and hurling a right hook past Jenna's face. It was clear to Nuada that he was going to need to be more alert no matter what while in this compound given the apparent need for every being within to strike at an enemy's face at emotional upsets. He slunk back to the floor unconscious once more as Nuala pushed past Abraham and the others to try and see to her brother. Manning turned and glared at her as Abe reached out and caught her by the arm, preventing her from moving any closer to the three in the hallway.

"Get him to a containment cell, now," Manning ordered in a low tone. He stared harshly at Nuala as he moved past the rest and headed toward the compound's main entrance. "And keep _her_ away from him."

Nuala put a hand over her mouth in shock and sadness. Why wouldn't they simply allow her to speak with her brother? If anyone could reason with him it would be her. She had acted solely out of fright and instinct when striking him earlier and he would most surely not be trusting of anyone after being treated so poorly. He needed her. She looked up at Abe for some kind of agreement, but her husband merely stared at the form of the prince as Jenna radioed for two assistants. The elf was behaving very strangely by comparison to the creature he had displayed when they had first met. There was something else going on. He turned to Red who continued to watch as well. The demon would have to be the one to speak with him now. Giving the prince what he wanted, within reason, was the only way to accomplish something in this instance.

--------------------------------------

Nuada felt as if he had received a day's rest upon awakening. Aside from the headache that was throbbing in his temples, he felt fully rested and there was no longer any pain or nausea. He must have slept for some time. Panic began to fill him. He had been given three days to return to England and he had already been through two of them. He was running out of time quickly. He looked carefully at his new surroundings. The room he now found himself in was tiny, brightly lit, and stark white. A small mat lay in the corner, but nothing more. There were no windows, no fixtures, nothing. He felt a panic welling within him. This was something meant to restrain, to imprison. He looked from side to side as he stood, breathing heavily. The human, Jenna, was nowhere nearby and he had remembered hearing that Titania's father was going to be leaving the facility for a short time. He no longer had to worry about the man hearing him and Oberon acting on the warning. He had to get the others to listen to him, Titania still needed their help. He walked over to the door of the room, trembling with fear, anger, and desperation all at once. He placed both hands on the door and began speaking loudly. "Nuala? Abraham? Please let me speak to you! Please!" he began begging. "It is a matter of life and death! Please answer me!"

From the set of television monitors, the group watched as the prince leaned his back against the door and began panting heavily.

"Please . . . please hear me," he said more softly. Nuala recognized the look forming in her brother's eyes as that of a caged animal, sensing something horrible about to take place. He gripped his head for a moment, trying to regain some part of his composure. Nuala felt her heart begin to ache terribly for her brother. He was not meant to be contained like this, none of them were. He whirled around and slammed both hands against the door. "Let me out! Let me out! I need your help! It is urgent! Release me out at once!" Abe felt a similar discomfort for the prince's condition forming within him. It was almost painful to watch the elf pause for a moment and look desperately at every angle of the room for guidance. "Sister! Sister, please speak to me! I need you, I need your help! Please, please speak to me!"

She turned to the others. "What if he is being truthful? What if he does earnestly need our help?" she said uncomfortably. Red looked at her angrily. "He has been reborn, perhaps he is not the creature he once was."

"He still looks pretty violent to me," Red muttered. On the screen, the prince was now slamming two fists into the door at full force, nearly causing the facing to buckle. Liz winced at every collision the elf's hands made with the metal. That could not have felt good to him. "Let him cool down a little before anyone does anything."

"He's not calming down at all, Red," Abe interjected. The prince now screamed loudly, building hostility in desperation with each breath. "He's getting worse."

"Let me out! Speak to me!" he continued shouting, no longer making requests.

Nuala frowned, the ache increasing at seeing her brother going into a frenzy. She turned to the others. "This is torture for him," she said pitifully. "Do something before he harms himself or someone else." Liz nodded and pressed a single button on the control panel. Jenna might have been able to spare the prince from Welf's whims, but he couldn't escape basic measures taken to contain a prisoner, even if that meant the use of force.

The prince stepped away from the door and turned around twice before beginning to shout again. "Anung un Rama! Anung un Rama! Speak to me, demon! I need your help!" he screamed. Red cocked his head for a sideways glance at the monitor. The elf looked genuinely panicked now, as if his entire home were about to be burned down in front of him right before his execution. The demon thought for a moment, taking in the anxiousness of the princess and his best friend as well. A moment later, two large agents in white entered the room and took hold of the prince, pinning him against the wall. Nuala gasped. Abe placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that they were not going to harm her brother. "No! No, please! No! Please listen to me!" he continued shrieking. "This is madness, madness I tell you! You send an innocent to her death and thousands more into utter destruction with your silence! I need your help, all of you!"

The demon stared more closely at the screen. The royal could not have been faking this. His struggle might have been more effective had he not been battered upon entering the compound, but at the moment he was entirely unable to do more than plead for mercy as the agents injected a heavy dose of a sedative into his shoulder. Nuala turned away, breathing as heavily as her brother. She looked at Abraham, distressed.

"My brother did not try to attack me," she repeated. "He is not here to do any harm."

"Then why would he just show up here after taking Tania, tell Finkelstein that he wanted to talk, get silent, and now he wants out to talk again?" Red asked, still scanning the screen for an answer. The agents carefully placed the subdued elf on the mat and quickly left the room. "What does he need from us?"

"You do not understand," the royal groaned, fighting off the drug with every ounce of strength left by the fit. The group leaned forward, all listening in anticipation. "Titania needs us," he said sadly. He had replenished enough from the wounds, but he was still quite at the mercy of the team. If he could not get them to listen to him, all would be lost.

"He's pretty subdued, can't you get into his head and see anything?" Red asked glancing at the princess with slight irritation. "If we knew something, if we had a reason to go in there . . ."

"I will see what I can discern from him," Nuala offered immediately. The princess softly closed her eyes and raised one hand into the air towards the screen, focusing every conscious cell in her body on her brother's thoughts and feelings. Her eyes widened and she gasped, recoiling her hand. The group perked up as she pulled her hand back, covering her mouth with it. "Oh, dear."

"What? What is it?" Red demanded. Liz frowned and stared back at the screens, not wanting to let the elf out of her sight even vicariously. "What did you see?"

"Well, he has not harmed Titania and she is no longer with him. Her location is guarded in his mind and heart, I cannot see it," she explained. "He does still wish to . . . well . . . he wishes to speak with you, but he also wishes to kill you."

"What?" Red narrowed his eyes at the princess in confusion. "He wants to talk and fight? That doesn't make any sense even for him."

Liz glared at the screen and silently left the room. Red watched the pyrokinetic depart with apprehension. She had felt more strongly about doing away with the prince than anyone. This might have been from nearly being widowed, but it had stayed very strong within her since being forced to face the Golden Army. He sighed and turned back to the she-elf and his best friend. Liz would be emotional no matter what for the time being and there would be no avoiding it. Abe turned to the screen, his eyes blinking and quivering in concern.

"Oh, dear," he muttered. Red frowned as his friend gestured towards the screen. Red groaned in agitation.

"Aw, crap, what now?" he muttered. The three left in the room watched the figure of the pyrokinetic enter the prince's cell, turn towards the camera, and throw a small flame at it. As the feed warped and faded away, the demon rose and headed for the door. "He really has picked the wrong time to piss her off."

"Is there a right time?" Abe asked genuinely. Red shot him a look as he left the room. They would have a few minutes to take the woman out of the cell before Abe would be treating his wife for burns.

--------------------------------

Liz turned and placed a hand over the door frame, allowing flame to burn brightly from her fingers as she traced the outline. In a few short moments, the door had been effectively sealed shut with a melted barrier of metal. Satisfied with her work, she turned and faced the form of the elf lying still and unresponsive.

"I know you can hear me," she said in a low tone. She moved toward the elf slowly, glaring at him with anger nearly beyond her control. "You want to kill Red? You want to destroy my world?"

"I want to be free," the elf muttered thoughtlessly. The pyro's face twisted more furiously as she reached down and seized him by the shoulders. She wasn't going to bring him to standing, but she was going to get a good hold on him. She clasped her fists tightly around his shoulders and pulled him upright, kneeling slamming the uppermost portion of him into the wall with a grunt. His eyes fluttered open for a moment, spinning as he drew in a sharp breath. "And I want the beatings to cease."

"The beatings will continue until morale is improved; _**my **_morale. You got that? Now let's just agree to hate each other and move on. Everyone just wants to know where Titania is, then you can go," she said giving a half truth without remorse. He groaned and tried to open his eyes. This was the demon's mate, he could recognize that much. What had his sister seen when examining her mind and heart a few days before? Liz; her name was Elizabeth Grace Sherman and she was a story racked with solitude and dejection constantly tumbling in and out of danger ablaze with hatred for her own gifts. "Tell me where she is and what you've done. Your emotionally disturbed sister says that she wasn't with you before you came here, so where is she?"

Nuada's eyes began to glow with anger and his heart beat faster at hearing an insult aimed at his family. He growled softly. Liz smiled at being able to rouse some sort of reaction in the prince as he shifted. "Do not say such things about my sister," he warned in a low tone. Despite being chemically weakened, the prince seemed to be as threatening and determined as ever. Liz scoffed and pulled him forward somewhat, slamming him back into the wall once more. The prince grunted in frustration, his eyes opening more fully and consciousness descending more readily. "I grow weary of these assaults."

"Believe me, it's getting old having to smack you around. Tell me where she is," the pyro continued. Nuada breathed deeply, finding himself able to summon more strength now than when he had first arrived. Liz frowned noticing the elf regaining composure. He was not going to get the better of her. "Where is she you patricidal prick!?"

At these words, Nuada found the strength and presence to reach forward and harshly shove the pyro away from him. Liz scooted across the floor several feet. She firmly stopped herself with her hands and rose slowly as the prince began to climb to his feet as well. She felt a twinge of fear move through her. Red was the strongest creature she knew and had found it difficult to face the elf. She would be no match for him whatsoever if he was returning to full capacity. He lifted his head, able to fight the sedative more and more with each breath. His eyes burned into her, warning her that he was not at all pleased with how things had gone since he had arrived.

"You are very quick to hurl insults at others that could very well be turned against you," he said softly.

"What?" she said angrily. "Didn't you hear what I said? I called you . . ."

"I heard what you said," he continued more loudly and slowly, staring at her firmly. Liz felt more than slightly intimidated, but refused to show it outwardly. "You referenced my father's death at my hands. I am curious if you have ever been met with similar words, though yours went far beyond simply your father, didn't it?" he remarked, remembering more and more of what his sister had seen in the pyro's mind. He smirked as she growled at him. "I believe matricidal and fratricidal would need to be added to that for you, wouldn't they?"

"You shut up! Just shut up!" Liz shouted, thoughtlessly and angrily advancing towards him. "You don't know anything!"

"They burned to death in the same fire that merely surrounded you without consumption all those years ago; one that I believe you ignited," he continued, enjoying being able to have the upper-hand for the first time in hours. The pyro shrieked and flew at him, fists at the ready. Nuada's reflexes had returned to a sufficient state, allowing him to catch both her fists in his hands and hold her firmly in front of him. "I am not the only creature in this room who has taken innocent life."

"I'm not a murderer like you," she snarled softly.

"I didn't say that you were," he barked back. Liz trembled visibly in the elf's grip as she stared into his glowing amber eyes with apprehension. She felt a nausea of her own surfacing. Nuada stared down at her in admiration. She had come to face him alone, not knowing whether he would be at himself or not. "I am as guilt ridden as you with as much reason to be."

"You've killed a lot more people than I have, elf," she spat angrily. Nuada growled and tightened his grip on her fists painfully. She grunted, but made no other visible or audible testimonies to him having created something uncomfortable for her. "And I haven't kidnapped anyone."

"I did not take Titania against her will; I was protecting her! She would have been safe, she would have been perfectly fine, everything would have gone smoothly if Oberon had not intervened so unexpectedly," he hissed. Liz stared at him in slight confusion and surprise. "I need your _husband_ to . . ."

"I know what you want from him, you want to kill him," she interrupted hotly. Nuada raised one brow in irritation. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"Make no mistake, human, I want to kill you as well," he snarled. "All of you, for your foul craft against the planet and directly against my family. I would not spare you simply because your mate gave a noble sacrifice."

Liz shouted angrily and threw her weight to one side, toppling the two of them to the floor. Nuada growled more loudly and tried to get both the woman's hands in one of his to use the other to hold her neck firmly. No such luck. The pyro was just as agile, just as energetic, and seemed just as strong as he was at the moment. He finally let go of the idea of holding her so firmly away from him and simply took hold of both her fists once more, glaring at her as they knelt in front of one another, panting heavily. The elf's eyes were ablaze with anger and sadness in the same magnitude and ratio that they were in the pyro's, though neither was truly aware of it in the other for the time being. They would be evenly matched physically until Liz's mortal limitations surfaced and she was realizing that they would likely do so long before the prince would tire. Even after being so brutalized, he had relentless determination and force. There was only one way she knew how to end this. She summoned a great deal of energy into her heart and mind and allowed the natural flame within her to begin flickering from the surface of her skin at every angle. Nuada froze and watched in sheer amazement as the woman's body was covered in a blaze of living fire.

"It is true, then," he muttered. He had seen brief visions of her ability through his sister, but had still refused to believe it. Liz stared in shock at the sight of the prince grasping her hands despite the flames surrounding them. He didn't seem bothered or wounded at all by the fire. He smiled and looked directly into her eyes. "You do have the gift of flame; like mother."

Liz glared at him, fighting away the urge to cry as wave after wave of emotion crashed against her, demanding its own release in different ways. She breathed deeply as the flames died down, looking away almost in shame. He released her fists and rose, stepping away from her as she folded her arms. Liz pushed away a surge of tears, hating the prince and princess for re-opening the wounds that she had worked so hard to heal with the same flames that had created them. She looked up at him angrily as she stood.

"If you're going to kill me, you'd better do it now," she said trying to hold back emotion from her voice.

Nuada rolled his eyes in irritation. "I have had enough of your human melodrama, if you please. Now, go and tell your _husband_ that I need to speak with him about . . ."

"You're not going to do anything to him!" she shouted moving towards him. The elf could see the woman trembling in fear and anger, but more in fear for the moment. It was not for her own life as much as it was for her survival past her husband. The thought of being without him was more painful than it would have been for most humans. Why? It could not have solely been because she was carrying his children. She stood in front of him defiantly. "You're not going anywhere or talking to anyone while you still have both arms."

"Unacceptable; we are running out of time," he said more urgently. "I can wait only a few hours more and then I must take drastic measures. It would be much easier for you to go and tell Anung un Rama that I need to have more than a word with him."

"NO!" Liz shouted furiously, throwing another fist towards him. Nuada leaned to one side, catching the pyro's arm casually. Liz growled and pulled her arm backwards, trying to swing the other towards him as well. Nuada scowled and caught both her arms, turning her away from him and holding her firmly. She grunted and shouted in frustration as the prince stayed perfectly still. "Let go of me!"

"No," the prince replied sternly. Liz growled and fought to try and free herself. The elf snorted and drew her closer, holding her more firmly as she screamed and fought, continuing to demand for him to release her. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Let go of me," she said in a lower tone, staying still for a moment to try and catch him off guard. The prince frowned and continued keeping a death grip on the woman. "Let go!"

"Why did you come here without the others? What did you alone hope to gain by facing me and irritating me near to the end of my patience?" he demanded. Liz froze and breathed deeply. "Well?"

"I just want to find Tania and go back to the way things were!" she shouted furiously. Nuada felt the woman grow limp in his grasp as she began sobbing. "I just want things to be normal with Red and I again."

"Normalcy is in the eye of the beholder, Elizabeth Sherman," the elf replied slowly. "And being a human, you should embrace all change as it is likely to make your very short life seem as worthwhile as it can in the eyes of a mortal."

"Why didn't you just die? Why couldn't you just leave us alone?" she groaned. Nuada felt a twinge of an emotion that was reminiscent of his father's sentence. He gasped slightly as the twinge moved through him and he released the woman. She leaned forward, grasping her chest and abdomen as she continued sobbing. He watched in stunned silence as she moved to the wall nearest them and leaned against it, crying more fully as she sank to the floor against the wall. He had just seen a stalwart warrior in this woman and now she was more unsettled than any female he had ever seen. What had caused this sudden change and why the two extremes? She seemed to be wavering between hell-bent on protecting her growing family and entirely consumed in sorrow by her past. Pity moved through him. Part of him knew a modicum of how conflicted she was. "I just want you to go away, I want everything else to go away."

"We are rarely handed what we want especially when what we are capable of is visible to fate," the elf said firmly. Liz turned away, still breathing heavily. The elf looked around the room, sensing carefully whether or not he would be seen or heard by anyone he could not see or hear. At the moment, they were entirely alone. He knelt and spoke clearly and slowly to the woman. "Titania is currently in the possession of Oberon, Lord of the Dark Faeries. She was taken from me when I was accosted beneath the city. I have gathered as many forces as I can across the sea and they await my command. If I can simply find a way to prevent him from using your_ husband_ to . . ."

"You are not going to kill him," Liz panted, glaring at him once more. Nuada sighed and nodded. "I won't let you."

"I had considered killing him, but that should be a last resort as he will be a powerful ally at least for a short time," the elf replied. "Your _husband_, thinks as a human and will do anything to preserve himself, his mate," the prince glanced down away from her eyes but still toward her body calmly, " . . . and his children."

"Then you don't want to kill Red?" she asked hopefully. Nuada cringed and thought carefully about his next remark. He wanted to do severe harm to the demon for what had happened to Wink and being humiliated in his father's throne room, but it would not do for him to voice that desire at the moment.

"No. As I said, I want to be freed, for the assaults on me to cease, and for assistance to be granted me in retrieving Titania before I lay siege to Oberon and end his treachery once and for all," he said firmly. Liz wiped her eyes furiously and tried to stand. Nuada reached forward and kindly helped lift the youth to stand. Liz gripped one of his arms in confusion and stared at him in shock. "Go and tell the others what I've told you. There is precious little time left; hours, at best."

"Is that all?" Liz asked, wondering whether or not it was safe to believe such a simple explanation and demand. If this was all that the prince wanted, then it would be more than easy to accept and then send him on his way after taking Tania back. The elf looked towards the door uncomfortably and then back to her.

"No, that is not all," he replied. Liz raised her brows at him, commanding him silently to voice the request quickly. "I want to see my sister and my nephew."

------------------------------

"That's all?" Red asked in bewilderment.

"Yep," Liz said crossing her arms and looking over the supplies she had gathered for the impromptu trip they would be taking in a few short hours. The prince had been ordered to stay in the room and, fearing another dose of sedative or thorough beating, he complied after reminding the pyro of his demands and his capabilities when forced to defend. Jenna had returned to the general area with word that she had plasma to give the prince and princess. The group was curious about where said plasma had come from and how it would react to the golden blood of an elf, to which Jenna replied that troll plasma had recently been proven in the laboratory to be an almost exact match to that of an elf and was an acceptable way to replenish the prince and princess. Liz had conveyed everything Nuada had told her twice to the entire group. Nuala had been relieved and had immediately gone to retrieve her son from the library where Dr. Krauss had waited, having a pleasant and lengthy conversation with the medical assistant about Welf's antics and desires. The pyro seemed more at ease than ever, which disturbed even the laid back demon. "It's been about two hours since the vanilla twins got their plasma transfer, so they'll be visiting for a moment before we leave, that was part of the deal."

"I still want to pound him into eternity," Red muttered. He approached his wife cautiously. "What did he say to you exactly? I mean, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Red," Liz said smiling. She turned towards him, pleased to hear that another creature had seen a protective side to her husband that reflected a natural father. She placed a hand on either side of his face and grinned brightly. "We're fine. We'll get this out of the way and things will go back to the way things were, perfectly normal."

Red laughed. "Like that's ever been an issue for us."

---------------------------------

Nuala entered the room behind Abe, carrying a small bundle wrapped in a pale blue blanket. Jenna had worked as quickly as possible to get the plasma into the twins, but had ordered the prince to rest for at least two hours to allow it to take effect. Nuada sat up more fully from the mat on the floor and turned to face his sister and nephew. The she-elf knelt, gently holding the baby without disturbing him. She smiled at her brother and moved the infant towards him. A little hesitant, Nuada accepted the boy and looked down into the peaceful face of his nephew once again. The baby yawned, cooing and stretching as best he could in his uncle's arms. Nuada smiled and looked towards his sister.

"This is your son," he mused. Nuala smiled.

"Yes, brother, your nephew," she replied watching the two happily. She reached out and softly pulled more of the blanket away from the baby's face. "Do you like him?"

"Like him?" Nuada laughed. "He is perfect. He has his mother's smile." He softly picked up the baby's hand using only one finger, marveling at the tiny features. "What is his name?"

"Leopold," Nuala replied. "Leopold Abraham Sebastian Balor Ludwig Nuada Sapien."

"Leopold," Nuada whispered, taking in every inch of this incredible being. He laughed and fought back tears of joy. "He is . . . beautiful."

"He is different, my brother," the princess said cautiously. Nuada glanced towards his sister in confusion. The princess sighed and affectionately stroked her brother's face, lingering near his eyes. "Nearly as different as you." The prince breathed deeply and looked to the side. He hated being reminded of how different he was from the rest of his kind in his markings. Nuala frowned and folded her hands in front of her. "I believe it is time that you knew what happened to you, my brother." He looked back at her inquisitively. She raised her eyes to look at him soberly and directly. Abraham's explanation to her some days before had shocked and enlightened her, but she was quite sure that her brother had not yet come to realize the same. "You should know why we were given the link, why mother doted over you, why Aunt Morrighan was so angry with you, and why father tried so very hard to shield my heart from yours." The prince stayed perfectly still, his pointed ears waiting impatiently for the next sound to emerge from his sister's lips. "Nuada, you are heartbroken."

"What do you mean, sister?" he asked in utter confusion. For an elf to be heartbroken spelled disaster. Nuala frowned and breathed deeply. It would make her brother all the more distracted and upset to hear that their parents had hidden something so important from him and that he was, essentially, a cursed creature of darkness. Before Nuala could answer, there was a loud knocking on the door from the other side. Abe turned along with the others as the door opened and Red and Liz entered. Nuada gently placed his nephew back in his sister's arms, softly stroking the boy's hand one last time. There was no guarantee that he would see the child again, death was always lingering in the consciousness of a warrior. He stood and nodded to the others. "Are we ready to depart?"

"We need to get going before either Manning or Welf sees that the plane is missing again," Red explained. Nuada nodded and turned towards his sister. "Say your goodbyes and then get in gear, we need to hurry."

"I will send for you, my sister, when the throne is reclaimed and Oberon's wretched usurpation has ended," the prince said taking the she-elf's shoulders in both hands. Nuala stared at him in slight anger as she walked to the door with her son. Nuada watched her, a little confused at his sister's display. He followed after her, giving Abraham a sharp look as they moved through the doorway. He had no intention of exchanging words with the creature that had defiled his sister for the moment; he would save that until the man would cower before him as he sat on the throne. "I will be only a short time away, my sister."

"I will not be left behind, my brother," Nuala countered as she continued down the hall a few feet towards where Jenna stood waiting for an update on the prince's condition and to watch the team leave. Nuala placed the infant in the woman's arms and gently touched her face. "Watch him carefully, I know you will do well." Jenna nodded to her and looked down at Leopold with an excited smile. The team watched the princess turn and walk proudly back to her brother, taking his arm gently. "I watched you die once, Nuada," she said softly. She leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek. "I will stand beside you and prevent it at all costs."

"I will be glad of that, Nuala," the prince replied fighting away an emotional display. He had to be more focused than ever now. He gripped her arm tightly and turned to the others. "Let us be gone."

Red turned and began to lead the way as another familiar set of beeps and chirps interrupted. The group turned and stared at one another in concern. Dr. Krauss put a gloved hand up and pressed a red button on his sleeve, motioning for the team to remain motionless. "Krauss here, vas is los?" he said firmly. The communicator was on speaker, giving the entire team a chance to hear what would be facing them if they were needed.

"Uh, we're not sure how to handle this one, Dr. Krauss, but there's a rabbit-man riding a tiger out here," the meek voice of an operative announced from the other end of the conversation. Nuada's eyes widened as he heard the familiar sound of another voice arguing with the operative.

"I am not a rabbit and I am not a man! As chief consul to Prince Nuada I must speak with his highness at once!" a timid and high pitched voice announced loudly.

"Puck!?" Nuada exclaimed happily. "Puck, where are you? We are leaving for England at once and . . ."

"Sir, is something happening with the prisoner?" the operative interjected. Krauss gave Nuada the angriest look he could manage without eyes. "Should we come and assist?"

"No, that will not be necessary. Place the creatures in with the troll, they are already acquainted, I believe," Dr. Krauss ordered. "Over und out." As Dr. Krauss clicked the button once more and folded his arms angrily, Red grabbed the prince's arm and turned him to face the others.

"Nice going, Sherlock," the demon chastised. "Now they know you're out, we're trying to leave, and that the little rabbit guy is connected to you. Brilliant."

Nuada pulled his arm away furiously and turned to Liz. "Elizabeth Sherman, please remind your husband that he addresses royalty when he speaks to me," the prince snapped. He turned back to Dr. Krauss. "I will not leave without Puck. He has risked his life to save my life and Titania's on more than one occasion."

"But . . ." Abe began. Nuada turned and glared at him with a fire similar to the pyro's in his amber gleam. Abe frowned and waved one hand dismissively to the prince.

The prince turned back to Krauss with a proud smile. "Now, where are they taking him?"

"He said to take him to the troll," Jenna reminded from a distance. Nuada glanced toward her for a moment then looked at Krauss inquisitively; silently asking the question that Jenna readied to voice aloud. "What troll? The one-eyed one in the lab?"


	37. CauldronBorne

_((Lots to cover, only two more to go! Enjoy the action! A moment of silence as well for one of the greatest performers of all time. Goodbye, Michael, we will miss you!)))_

**Chapter 37**

It was decided that Red and Nuada would go to the containment room to retrieve Wink while Abe and Dr. Krauss went toward the entrance to try and head off Puck and Ravi being brought to the containment wing. Liz and Nuala were told to head straight for the plane and wait for the rest to meet them within 20 minutes. Liz had stressed to her husband, and indirectly to the prince, that there was no telling how much time they had to work with and that the retrieval needed to be as swift as possible.

"You better be able to keep him from decapitating anyone. You hear me, Legolas?" Red demanded firmly as he and the prince moved down the hallway. Nuada growled. "Well?"

"Wink is not without sense and compassion. He will not attack without being provoked or ordered to do so," the elf replied angrily, allowing the demon to lead the way without feeling too powerless. "And do not call me Legolas."

"In here." Red approached a large, steel door and began pressing several keys on a nearby panel. "This is where your sister said they put him. I can't smell him, so I find it hard to believe."

"Is there any portion of this building that isn't either equipped for torturing or imprisoning?!" Nuada exclaimed in horror at the sight of the series of large containment cells behind enormous metal doors. Red chuckled in amusement.

"Welcome to my world, Legolas," the demon muttered as he walked over to an illuminated list of detainees and their current conditions. "Cute; he's in number thirteen."

Nuada growled softly and fought furiously against the urge to attack the demon. He clinched both fists and approached the door marked 13. "Do not call me Legolas, you repulsive mortal," he grumbled. He glanced at the door in curiosity as he tried to decide how best to force it open. Red watched in amusement for a moment. The prince seemed as bewildered as a child standing pitifully in front of a new baby-gate. The demon's smile faded as Nuada walked back over to the demon and folded his arms angrily. "Are you going to open the door, or am I going to assume you are an enemy with no intention of assisting the rest of us?"

"As long as you're not including my wife in that 'the rest of us' comment," the demon grumbled as he lifted a small flap near Wink's description and pressed the grey button beneath it. The large door bearing the 13 slid open slowly, revealing a pitch black cell with no sounds or recognizable scents coming from within. Nuada frowned. Was this a trap? Would the humans and the demon have deceived him simply to return him to some other form of containment? No, his sister had not sensed any treachery and she would know more about their intentions than he at the moment. The girl was as precious to them as she was to him, and news of her kidnapping had been just as distressing and urgent for the team as they had been for the elf. He stepped inside slowly.

"What the heck?!" Red suddenly exclaimed as the sight of a tiger came bounding into the room towards him. "Whoa! Big cat!"

"_Play_?! _Not play_?" Ravi called as he frantically moved down the hallway. Nuada turned and noticed the tiger just as he was noticed as well. "_Not play_!"

"Ravi?" Nuada said in bewilderment. Where was Puck? The prince stared at the animal in confusion for a moment. Why on earth would the creature, having recently been separated from his mistress, be interested in playing ? When the tiger called out the same once again, the elf realized that the creature was calling the phrases as if they were names and not actions or requests at all. "Wait! Titania is _play_ and I'm _not play_, that's what you've meant all along," Nuada said thoughtlessly to himself as he knelt and readied to face the beast. Red looked at the prince in confusion as the tiger skidded to a halt in front of him and began sniffing furiously. "She is not with us, my friend. We are to go and retrieve her. Can you follow me long enough to do that?"

"_Play_!" Ravi cried sadly, turning his head to the side as he visibly pined for the girl.

He snorted and turned back to the prince giving a low growl to show that he was in agreement with the prince's plan to rescue the girl. Nuada smiled and placed a hand on the tiger's head affectionately. The tiger grunted and pulled its head away in irritation, twitching his tail to emphasize to the prince that he did not appreciate the need to go and fetch the girl. Red approached and firmly took the tiger by the collar, hauling him away from the elf for a moment. The elf frowned, feeling similarly about the situation. He rose and scanned the open door carefully. Could Wink truly be in there? He didn't hear any sounds whatsoever and Wink usually at least breathed more loudly than any other creature. The prince drew in a deep breath and moved cautiously into the room.

"Mr. Wink?" he said carefully. The words of the tiny creature that had delivered the news of Wink's demise still burned in his mind. How he had ached for such a loss. Wink had been the only true friend the prince had known since being separated from his sister. The thought of having to live without the strength and brutish tenderness that the troll had offered was as painful as the thought of living as an orphan. He cleared his throat, feeling his mouth grow dry and his stomach flutter with anticipation of being reunited. His eyes scanned the dark room more carefully, still unable to see much of this area. The prince, like all elves, had the ability to see without as much light as a human needed, but this unnatural enclosure made even that blessing for naught. "Wink?"

"_Little prince_?" the troll muttered from a small distance away. Nuada turned in the direction and narrowed his eyes, trying to locate at least a hint of his friend. He heard the sound of scraping, hoof against the strange floor of this facility. The elf's lips curled upward into a bright smile as he heard the sound of his friend, although more slow and quiet than usual, moving behind him. He turned and came face to face with the lumbering figure standing over him. "_Nuada_! _My little prince_! _Oh_! _How worried I was_! _You're alive_! _My precious little prince is alive_!"

"Wink!" the prince cried happily. The voice of the elf was cut off as the troll heaved him up in one arm and pressed him tightly to his chest. Red entered the room and flipped one of the switches on the panel. Light filled the room as Nuada gasped for breath and struggled to let the troll know he was suffocating. "_gasp . . ._ Wink . . . _cough . . ._ my friend . . . _gasp_ . . . please put me . . . _cough_ . . . down now."

The troll grunted and set him on the ground gently. Using his enormous, yet unscathed, hand to place on the elf's head and look him over carefully while telling the prince the horrors he had suffered at the hands of the humans at the same time. Nuada listened, taking the time he knew he owed the creature for being so loyal and, essentially, loving for so many years. Red noted the sight of the prince simply standing and listening to the grunting troll. The demon frowned and stormed over to the elf, seizing him by the shoulder while still keeping a decent grip on the tiger. Wink roared furiously and moved forward to attack the red creature that had helped to land him in this situation. Nuada felt the urgency of the task at hand return at the demon's presence. He frowned and stepped in front of him; folding his arms and giving the troll a stern look. The troll stepped backwards, holding up his maimed metallic hand as he pointed to it and whimpered about the damage the demon had done to him. Nuada frowned and reached out to take his friend's appendage in both hands.

"We're running out of time, Legolas," Red exclaimed angrily.

"A moment. It is the least we can afford him for the time being after the horrendous ordeal he has been subjected to at your hands and the hands of the putrid humans you serve," the elf retorted hotly. "And for the last time, I am not Legolas. Call me that again and I will remove the awkward tension there will be in having you along." Red frowned and raised a fist angrily as the prince glanced over the troll's mechanical mess lingering at the end of his wrist. Nuada sighed and gently patted the steel. "Not to worry, old friend. I can fix this in no time at all."

"This is ridiculous," the demon grumbled as he turned back to the door. The troll whimpered once more, asking the prince if he was sure that he could repair it so quickly and back to its former strength.

"Of course I can. I made the first two, this one is by far the best, most durable, and most versatile," the elf replied as he turned and motioned for the troll to follow. "Come along, Mr. Wink, we are returning to the homeland to reclaim my father's throne."

"Can we get going before Titania ends up looking like him?" Red interjected. Nuada scowled at him and moved past, doing his best to ignore the demon as they continued out of the room and down the hallway. "This way. We need to get to the plane unseen and it's going to be tougher now that Mr. Winky and the tiger are with us."

Nuada looked toward the demon and shook his head. "His name is Wink, Anung un Rama. Do you have no respect for the titles of others?" he said with visible irritation.

"Not really," Red replied casually. He stopped for a moment and listened carefully, smiling. "Sounds like Abe and Krauss are ahead of us and they've got you're rabbit buddy with them."

"For Aiglin's sake, demon, his name is Puck; I have said so previously. You shall have to learn to address beings properly if you are to survive in the magical realm." He moved more closely beside the demon and stared carefully into the hallway ahead. "How can you tell that they are head of us?"

"I can hear Abe rambling off something about the exact location we need to reach and a more annoying voice arguing about needing to get to you and get the tiger back," the demon explained. Nuada frowned. He couldn't really hear a thing. He grasped his head for a moment, suddenly feeling weak once more. He hadn't been allowed the time Jenna had told him would be best to allow the plasma to start benefiting him. "Come on, we can use the tiger to distract Manning or anyone else that tries to stop us."

Nuada thought for a moment about Ravi being used as a distraction and the possibility of the tiger ending up being seen as a monster just as he had been and then being imprisoned or worse. He reached out and grabbed the demon's arm, stopping him from moving forward. "No," he said. He quickly knelt in front of the tiger and looked deeply into the creature's eyes. "Ravi, my friend, I need you to stay here while we retrieve Titania. I need someone to watch over my nephew and protect him."

"Are you crazy? Jenna'll freak out if you send . . ." Red began protesting.

"She has more sense about other creatures than you do," the elf snapped, not turning towards his awkward ally. "Go and find him; he is an infant with scent similar to mine in the care of a human female. Can you do this?"

"_Not play_," Ravi grunted and tried to lick the prince's face one more time. Nuada held the tiger's muzzle away. Red sighed heavily and turned back to the hallway. The prince gently patted the tiger's head once more and then pointed in the direction of the rest of the compound that would lead him close to the library where his nephew had been sleeping when he arrived. His nephew. It was still a strange thought for him to grasp; his sister being married and having already birthed a child. Then again, it was equally as strange to think about the tiger he was sending to watch the boy who belonged to the somewhat human girl he was off to rescue from the faerie king he had not thought about since his youth. It was all incredibly odd and had been this way since his return from exile. He would have to remember not to spend so much time in isolation ever again.

"Come on, Nuada, we need to go now," Red snorted as he reached down and took the prince by the sleeve over his shoulder. The elf scowled and allowed this for a moment. The demon had taken only four steps forward when the elf suddenly took hold of his ally's elbow and firmly yanked it forward, kicking one leg of the creature forward as well. Red cried out in surprise as the prince stepped backward, and let the demon crash to the floor on his back. The elf smiled in triumph as the demon began cursing. He had taken just about enough harsh handling from any creature for a lifetime and was now in the state of mind and position to begin making it known how unappreciative he was of such gestures. Wink snickered in approval as they turned and continued down the hallway swiftly without the demon, trying to concentrate on the position of the others using the fading link with his sister. He made only three turns, glancing carefully when he heard a human operative nearby so that he and the troll could dodge their view. The demon was as slow to catch up with them as he had hoped, making it to the hangar at the very same moment. Nuada stared at the plane in shock. This was the transportation they would be using? He had seen a few of these in the skies overhead. The skies? He froze and felt a twinge of natural anxiety overwhelm him. Red stopped a few feet behind him and glared at him. "Keep moving, elf, or I'll leave you here," he ordered. Wink grunted at him angrily while Nuada said nothing and continued to stare at the plane apprehensively. Red huffed and took the prince by the arm once more, ignoring the lesson he should have learned a moment before. "Come on."

"There are other ways to reach England," Nuada said softly. Red turned to him with one brow raised in confusion. "The faerie portals are more swift and the one near the market will take us to Bethmoora."

"Hey, if you want to try and weasel your way out of this compound, make it back to the troll market, and dodge the faerie guy that wants to kill you since he'll probably have all of those rigged with traps by now, be my guest," the demon said with a dramatic wave. Nuada glared at him once more, wishing momentarily that he had fangs similar to the tigers' to bear at the brute. "No? Then get on the plane."

Wink grunted softly and moved past the two towards the plane. Nuada breathed deeply. This was not going to be a pleasant journey no matter how they traveled, but it would be all the less tolerable being forced into one of the foul, human contraptions that continued to poison the earth and rape the sky. Still, if this would take him to where his precious Titania waited, it was worth any evils great or small.

--------------------------------------

The flight was neither eventful nor pleasant. Nuada and Nuala sat anxiously at the very back of the plane, huddled against one another for comfort as if having reverted back to a childhood trauma that required the strength of the other to overcome. Puck had done his best to ignore the sight of the enormous troll who stood uncomfortably in the central portion of the plane, unable because of his size to accompany the prince to the backmost corner. He grunted in agitation as he tried to glance into the back every so often. Puck had been able to go and sit with the prince, introduced himself to the princess, and found himself snatched uncomfortably into the prince's grasp in rabbit form as the journey continued. Nuada anxiously stroked the rabbit's back and head as he explained how he had been healed by Larce and what he had learned of the trolls that were awaiting them across the sea. Abe felt uncomfortable trying to take hold of his wife while she knelt clutching her brother. It was likely that the prince would seize the opportunity to alleviate any frustrations by starting a tiff with the fish man and Abe was in no mood to lay him out once again.

"Beginning initial descent into the Salisbury region of Great Britain," Dr. Krauss announced from the pilot's seat. The backmost part of the plane was filled past what should have been safe capacity, but the necessity of using the craft went beyond basic precautions. "Everyone prepare for landing."

"Finally," Red muttered. He looked at Liz and smiled. "I thought we'd never get there."

"We still have to land," she replied anxiously as she glanced out one of the small windows. She frowned and turned around. "Hey, Nuala or Nuada one of you, why is the entrance at Stonehenge? I thought your throne room and the palace that belonged to your family was that place in Antrim. What happened to that?"

Nuada said nothing, still clutching Puck to him like a security blanket. Nuala breathed deeply, finding more of a voice than her brother at the moment.

"The palace we seek is of the Faerie Ring, a land that was set aside to be entirely sacred from the upper world of mankind. It was hidden long ago to preserve us, but the need arises for us to come to the surface and reclaim the throne of the magical globe rather than simply keep the throne of Elfland," Nuala explained. The plane began to dip and turn, lowering in an arc towards the green earth. Nuada and Nuala both suddenly took hold of one another, Puck caught uncomfortably between them as they glanced around in fear. "What's happening?"

"We're landing," Abe said. "Hopefully we won't be too noticed. These areas are heavy with tourists and can be pretty heavily watched."

"There aren't supposed to be any tourists out there this week, something about the weather," Red added.

The plane came to a smooth halt on the ground quite a distance away from the pathways that led to the circle of stones. The group exited the plane, glancing around carefully for any humans that might be observing them. Luckily, so far Red had been right and there were no other people around for what appeared to be miles and miles. Nuada breathed deeply and looked with fond recognition at the henge in the distance. Nuala smiled as well. Neither had seen this place since their childhood and even then they were only allowed brief glimpses of the sacred circle. The group slowly wandered down the path worn by tourists and caretakers toward the ancient ring. Wink grunted and stayed as close to Nuada as possible. Puck snorted every now and again at the troll with slight disapproval. He would need to have a conversation with the prince about this companion.

From beneath the plane, unnoticed to the group as they moved a great distance away, a bottom flap swung open and allowed a large and rather desperate man to fall gasping onto the ground. He lay for several moments, breathing deeply. The suit he was wearing was soaked with sweat and still warm from being so near the landing gear. Thomas Manning had never done something so bold before, hiding onboard a craft in order to get in on any action with the team. He had done his best for years to get away from action with the team. He groaned and felt his head spin as a cool darkness washed over him. He would need to rest a few minutes before continuing on and he didn't want to risk slowing the group that was rescuing his daughter by calling out for help. He sighed and told himself that he would rest a few moments and then be up on his feet and on his way. He was not going to let that horrible, horrible elf have any exclusivity with his little girl.

-----------------------------------

"Now, how exactly do we get in? This isn't like a doorway or a portal, is it?" Liz asked as they pressed forward.

"_The circle of stars holds the start, the tomb of their study the end_. We are headed for Newgrange from here, so I'm assuming that it is a portal of some kind. _The path to the Faerie Ring opens when calling up fire as friend_ were the instructions after that," Nuada quoted. The group stared at him in confusion. "_Light then the top of each marker_ . . ."

"There aren't any markers out here," Red interjected, waving his stone hand towards the flatlands around them as they grew all the closer to the henge. Nuada glared at him and then smirked.

"The very living rock would be the markers, each signifying a 'hinge' as it were a door. _Light then the top of each marker, with flame thrown by mortal command_." Here the prince looked towards Liz. "I believe you are going to be the key in making that possible, Elizabeth Sherman. The last instructions are to _follow the deathless defenders and enter the Danu's last land_."

"Danu?" Red laughed.

"Danu, as in the Tuatha de Danan or the highest royalty and first races of the Celts in Ireland. Danu was a mother goddess similar to Isis," Abe explained. Nuala looked at him with a greater deal of adoration than before. How marvelous to have a creature so versed in her people's history without having schooled him herself. "I thought the deathless defenders were sent to the otherworld."

"The otherworld, Abraham, is simply in reference to the realms not within reach of mortals. Humans took it to mean the netherworld or other side where beings go when all earthen purpose is past them," Nuada corrected with a gleam of triumph in knowing something his brother in law did not. Abe frowned at him and then nodded as they reached the edge of the stone circle. The group began to look around in confusion. They were sure that they could hear singing from not far away; singing with music reminiscent of a pub. Nuada and Nuala recognized the type of melody and tone of voices as being in preparation for marching to battle. The voices themselves belonged to goblins, the only of the less savoury creatures that had any musical ability whatsoever.

"_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_Well Oberon was crowned as King so many years ago.  
And ever since we live a sorrowed life of misery and woe.  
Yes, Oberon's a tyrant; above, about, within.  
He's made our lives a living hell, now we'll make hell for him!_

_It all began so long ago, way back when we were free.  
King Balor and his children went away across the sea.  
We sorrowed for a moment, but never harboured doubt.  
Now Prince Nuada's come again to put the brute to rout!_

_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_Well, when I heard the battle cry, I went to join the fray.  
I scarce had spoke, then Jareth came to send me on me way.  
"Good lad you're half a goblin, what can you give this lot?"  
"Kind sir," said I, "A half of me is all the give I've got!"_

_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_So then I asked the captain to explain the battle plan,  
He said, "We'll march until we reach the Danu's dying land.  
Dark Faeries will besiege us, as we're burning down their door,  
We'll catch 'em by the wings and throw 'em screaming across the Moor!"_

_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_Now as for dark King Oberon, his end will not be swift,  
We'll thrash him good and wrap him up as a coronation gift.  
And as the prince receives him, before the company,  
We'll say, "Silverlance is your master and forever more he'll be!"_

_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!  
If the Morrighan calls me, I'll press on just the same.  
No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again!_

_**No, I'll cease not til King Balor's son is on the throne again! **_"

Nuada moved to the centre of the circle as the song faded into whooping and cheering. "Jareth?" Nuada called from the centre of the circle. The whooping and cheering suddenly ceased and all grew very cold and silent. Clouds suddenly moved overhead as if summoned. The group waited silently and patiently. Nuada narrowed his eyes and moved forward. "Jareth? Show yourself!"

"Prince Nuada!" a familiar voice cried from a few feet away.

"No, lassie!" another voice called as the air around the large stone structures began to ripple and warp like water. Red watched in astonishment, hearing Abe give a gasp, as the sight of hundreds of goblins and trolls became visible. The group cried out in surprise and relief as they saw Titania come running towards him. "Well, now you've done it! The glamour won't work on 'em."

"It never would have," Jareth announced as he stepped into the centre of the circle and knelt before the prince. Titania hurried past and firmly wrapped her arms around the elf, nearly knocking him to the ground. He laughed and put his arms around her as well, placing his cheek against the top of her head and holding her as tightly as he could. The two breathed deeply, fully relieved at the sight of one another after being so harshly separated. "As you can see, your highness, the girl is in good order and the army is ready to march when you are."

"Titania," Nuada said softly. "I have missed you, so! How I worried for you."

"I was so worried about you, too! You were wounded! What happened? Did the bleeding stop?" Titania asked in one anxious breath. The girl suddenly noticed her friends standing behind the prince and smiled. "Abe! Liz! Red!" The girl moved away from the prince and hurried to embrace each friend in turn. Liz moved forward to be first, grasping Titania as tightly as the prince had. Red moved behind his wife, accepting the second hug.

"You okay, kid?" he asked with a fond smile. "Those goblins and Keebler McStabby didn't do anything they shouldn't have did they?"

"Not to me," Titania replied. She glanced past the demon and smiled more brightly. Red released her and allowed her to race towards Abe, placing her arms around him with the same familiarity she had done for Nuada. Nuala watched in confusion, turning from Abraham to her brother and asking silently if this was the girl in question. Abe gently put his arms over the girl for a moment. "Abe! I'm so glad to see you! I was afraid I might never see you again after the weeks I've had !"

"It is a relief to know you are well, Titania, to say the least. This has all caused quite a stir," Abe said placing a hand on the side of her face affectionately. Nuada did his best to keep from scowling at this display. Titania had every right to greet her friends for a moment. Nuala looked the two uncomfortably, unsure of whether or not to introduce herself. She turned to her brother once more in confusion. This human was most certainly the one that had his every attention, the child that he loved. But she was indeed a child. She couldn't have been very far along in girlhood, barely able to tell that she was pleasing to other creatures. What had caused such a stir of emotion for this girl in him? Abe looked toward his wife and then at Titania, turning her to face the she elf. "Titania, this is Princess Nuala."

Titania bowed her head and smiled. "I've heard quite a bit about you from your brother," she said softly. "You're beautiful."

"Likewise," the princess said with a smile. She turned and looked around at the enormous crowd of goblins, trolls, hobgoblins, odd breeds of faeries, and other creatures that had gathered to take up the sword for her brother's reign. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. Thunder began to rumble overhead. A loud cawing caught the attention of everyone in the group and the army alike. Nuada frowned as the raven form of the Morrighan came to land in the centre of the group in the circle. "Aunt Morrighan?" Nuala whispered in disbelief.

"You look well, Nuala," the Morrighan said with a smirk. She turned to Nuada. "Recovered entirely from the wound that ended the last and most impressive quarrel you two had, have you?" Nuala frowned in shame. She was not remorseful for having dealt the death blow that had caused her brother's rebirth as well as her own. Nuada growled softly at the woman and moved to stand protectively beside Titania. "And I see that Jareth retrieved Titania in good order. It is only owed after the world of darkness he brought on you as an infant."

"What?" the prince asked in confusion. Nuala and Titania looked away as Jareth moved forward. The prince narrowed his eyes at the goblin who had already confessed to Titania what had transpired between himself and the prince millennia ago. "What is she talking about, Jareth?"

"I believe it is what I was trying to tell you before we left, brother," Nuala said. Wink grunted, sensing tension and being surrounded so unexpectedly by creatures he had never seen before. "You are heartbroken, brother."

"Oberon has been hard at work for many years before he roused a rebellion against Balor," Jareth explained. It was only right to tell the prince what he would be up against. It would be expected that the dark king would use the prince's one weakness against him. He sighed heavily and knelt before the elf, reciting in as much concise detail as he could the sin he had committed in cursing him as a child. Nuada's face twisted with anger, sadness, and shock all at once. He breathed heavily, stepping backwards and clenching one fist to his chest. "Your mother was wise to shelter you as she did or we would not see you returning to the throne, your highness."

"And how can this curse be undone?" the prince hissed. "I want it removed **NOW**!"

Jareth winced at the volume in the prince's voice. "Sire, my realm is in creating the curses, I am but a humble goblin," he explained. "It is the nature of elves and humans to break curses and spells."

Nuada looked back at his sister who frowned, silently telling him that she did not know how they were to break the curse at all. He turned slowly back to Jareth. "The battle; Oberon will know of this, he will use it," he realized sadly. "There can be no good end to this."

"On the contrary," the Morrighan said with a smile. The group turned to her and waited for an arcane comfort with conditions that would likely undo any relief in the comfort. "Oberon will be cautious of using such a weakness seeing as you know his."

"Then we go to war as though there is no curse," Nuada said, feeling a renewed strength and slight confusion. Oberon had placed a human heart alongside his own years before. All one had to do to entirely destroy the dark faerie, was pierce him once with the magic end of his spear. Magic weaponry doing any sort of damage was fatal to a human heart whether superficial or otherwise, or so the prince thought. The Morrighan smiled inwardly, knowing that the prince was dead wrong. The prince found it a little odd that the past would have been brought to his attention if it would not matter in facing the brute. He sighed and turned to the army waiting for his command. "My people; Oberon has claimed clan after clan of goblin, troll, and faerie to serve him without freedom. He has kept us from the sweetness of the otherworld that we have deserved since the great rift. And now he sits ready to purge all but his putrid kind from the realms. We march to the Faerie Ring, to Newgrange the tomb of stars, where we will burn every trace of his filthy essence and those like him, from our lands forever! We march to claim our lands once more!" As the crowd began cheering, shouting, and raising their weapons in excitement, the prince turned to the team standing behind him and stared directly at the pyro. "Now, we will need someone to light the way, as it were."

Liz nodded and stepped away from the group. She stood in front of the largest single stone and clenched her fists to her chest. "Fire is mine, fire is in me," she said. "Fire is mine, fire is in me. Fire is mine, fire is in me." The Morrighan smiled and lowered herself to the ground, warping into the raven once more and taking flight. Nuada watched the black streak of death lift into the sky, readying to cleanse the battlefield of blood once they had begun to cross blades with Oberon's forces. "Fire is mine, fire is in me. Fire is mine, fire is in me," Liz continued to chant as flames enveloped her body. She opened her eyes, the blue covered by orange warmth. She focused on the top of the stone before her. "**Fire is mine**!" she shouted as she raised her hands and instinctively forced energy from her fingertips towards the top of the stone marker.

The fire did not stay on the top of the stone marker and flicker as a torch. Instead, flames began to swirl around the entire stone structure and glow brightly around the stone as if the entire marker were made of wick. Liz gasped and took a step backwards as the first stone glowed. She smiled brightly and felt a greater flame burning within her. She had made something incredibly beautiful and it was only about to get more incredible. The rest of the team watched in amazement as the pyro lifted her hands once more. The ground began to tremble and the goblin horde whispered amongst themselves. The earth was about to reveal something ancient, something not seen for years. As the pyro turned and began thrusting bursts of flame onto the other stone markings, the group watched the enveloped markers begin to rise from the ground. Nuada and Nuala both froze while the rest of the team moved back a pace. Titania grasped Nuada's arm and stood beside him trembling. The troop of the troll army began to cry out in surprise and move backwards as well. Each marker rose hundreds of feet into the air revealing larger portions of rock buried beneath the earth with sacred markings similar to those found in the troll market. Two of the markers fused into one solid piece with an archway carved into their centre to the left of the unusual crowd. Over the arch were carved the words 'mortals, here turn back or yield to the will of magic as the legends show the way'. The prince smiled and clasped the girl's hand more tightly.

"Is that the doorway?" Abe asked softly. Nuala turned to him.

"It must be," she replied. She turned to her brother and smiled. "Now what do we do? Who will go?"

"All of us; Oberon will use any separations against us," Nuada replied glancing down at Titania. "We cannot risk leaving anyone behind and to his vices."

"You're going to take a little girl, your sister, and my pregnant wife into battle? I don't think so," Red interjected. "I say the girls all stay here with the troll."

Liz turned, the flames slowly dying down and slipping back beneath the surface of her skin. She frowned at her husband for a moment. "I heard that. And, at the risk of really regretting saying this, I think the prince is right," she said trying to keep from showing how much this was beginning to shock even her. "We go together and we stand less of a chance of losing someone or someone being used as a weapon."

"We must hurry, the cauldron of the deathless few will sense the coupling of the demon and Gael's heir nearby," Jareth said quickly. Puck lowered himself to the ground and transformed to his more human form as he took a position beside his master. "I will lead the army, sire. What would you have them do?"

"When we reach the throne room," the prince began, " . . . leave nothing of Oberon to stand. None of his servants and none of his creations."

Jareth smiled and bowed low. "It shall be done." He turned and faced the rest of the army. "To war!" he cried happily. The troll army shouted in reply as Nuada moved forward to the archway and looked over it with admiration. As experienced and knowledgeable as the prince was, he was still as uncertain as any of the rest of the team as to what lay before them beneath the earth. Dr. Krauss moved forward and stood beside the elf at the archway, seemingly the least impressed by all of this.

"Well, I suppose we follow some sort of carved path, then," the entity said. Nuada said nothing and stepped into the archway onto the stairs that lead beneath the surface. Thunder began to rumble more loudly overhead. The team followed silently as the boisterous band of monsters made their way to the arch. Wink grunted and followed as close to the prince as possible without stepping on Puck who was still glaring at the troll every so often. The walls that became tunnels, which were strangely visible despite the lack of any source of light that could readily be detected, had more than simply riddles or warnings carved into them; there were intricate murals of epic battles and primitive portraits of warriors and kings, the very essence of early myth and legend. Titania breathed deeply as she looked over the carvings. Abe recognized the features of some of the beings pictured; Taleisin, Finn MacCool, Bran, Lugh, and eventually King Balor himself. Puck gave the best directions he could while reminding everyone to please be as silent as they could while approaching the central chamber of sorcery. The group froze as the form of a creature that looked very much like Puck approached them from around the corner. As he rose to stand in a more human form, the group cringed. He was round, like Puck, but his face had been twisted with hatred and his hair barely sat atop his head in small clumps.

"Oh my, won't this be fun!" he rasped. Puck frowned and leapt in front of his master and Titania. "Oberon will be so amused."

"Keep to this path and it will take you directly to where the cauldron waits with Oberon, sire, of that you can be sure," Puck said. The elf looked down at his friend in confusion as he reached for his spear. "I will handle this, your highness. Andraste and I have much to settle. Go and take the throne."

"Fool; I'm going to do what should have been done to you when you first aided this abomination," the pwca, Andraste, spat. Puck growled and leapt forward, throwing one fist toward his enemy. Nuada contemplated doing his friend a favour and dispatching Andraste immediately, but it was clear by the tone of Puck's voice that the injurious hardships he had recently been forced to endure would be thoroughly made right in this chance to handle an enemy himself. He kept hold of Titania's hand as the group moved past the pwcas and hurried into the rest of the subterranean palace. As they approached the large open doorway to the central room, the group could hear the sounds of Oberon's legions of dark faeries and evil creatures shouting and chanting in preparation. Everyone drew in a deep breath. This would be a confrontation unlike any other.

----------------------------------------

Thomas Manning awoke to the sound of a harsh clap of thunder. For a moment, he could have sworn he had seen a strange woman in black clothing standing over him, but as his vision cleared and his consciousness fully returned, he could see that he was entirely alone. He turned and began to stand, trying to move to the stone circle quickly. His eyes nearly fell from his skull at the sight of what was once merely Stonehenge, now a ring of flaming pillars that grazed the sky. He looked at the archway as he felt the ground begin to tremble once more. The pillars groaned and started to slowly slid back into the earth. He gasped and felt instinct demand that he get into the archway at once. He obliged, staring at the walls around him in confusion. The area seemed as illuminated as the outside, but without the use of fire or other visible sources of light. He shook away curiosity and amazement and pushed all of his focus into one thought, retrieving Titania and getting home.

-----------------------------------------

The entire floor of the chamber was ablaze with action. Blood sprayed in nearly every direction in many dark colours as axes, swords, cleavers, and blades of stone sang through the air and sunk into the hard flesh of all the magical creatures at odds. Wink had managed to dispatch no less than five dark faeries and hobgoblins within the first two swipes of his metal claw. He roared as the prince ordered him to go and join the others in the chamber while he and the team would go and see to Oberon. Nuada watched the battle a moment longer from the edge of the chamber doorway. There was a winding slope leading up to the ledge that became the stairway to the platform where he could clearly see the form of the iron cauldron. Oberon would, no doubt, be nearby. The rest of the team had been told to stand aside as the armies met, and were now looking at the scene with disgust. Nuala turned away, breathing heavily as Abe put his hands on her shoulders. The prince stepped back into the hallway and gestured toward the slope.

"So now what?" Red asked as he glanced uncomfortably at Liz. The sight of the carnage had made the demon all too aware of the mortal danger facing his wife and unborn sons or daughters. The elf looked over his shoulder at him, trying to draw strength from the sight of the larger and far more intimidating demon. Even when first facing him intoxicated, Nuada had known that he and all his centuries of strength was no match for the power of the demon. Oberon wanted to use Anung un Rama. Perhaps there would be a way to use the demon's strength to distract him while dealing a mortal blow. "How are we going to do this?"

"We? I will face Oberon and reclaim the throne. You are nearby in case something should go awry with one of your friends," the prince replied proudly. If the demon was in the mindset of being put aside, then perhaps anger would build into a drive to head off Oberon first. Titania watched her friends walking slowly behind Nuada and suddenly felt more frightened than she had in all of her life. She had never truly been on any of the missions and the incident in the gnome quarry had nearly devastated her. This was going to be far more intense. She shoved aside those thoughts, trying to banish doubt by reminding herself that she had the prince to protect her now.

_He was not able to protect you before_, a voice in the back of her mind said. She froze. The group turned and began asking if she had seen something. Titania remained motionless as the voice continued to speak. _You must defend him, now. He needs you; they all need you. Hurry forward, you will be able to save them_. The group watched in shock as Titania seemed to dart forward at lightning speed. Horror washed over Nuada's visage at sensing the presence of a spell moving past him.

"No, not now," he growled and hurried after her. The ledge was not far ahead, and Titania was already well out of view. How had she managed to gather such speed? The group followed the elf as swiftly as they could, halting behind him as he stood staring angrily at the form of the dark king. Oberon was still wearing his stolen royal robes from ages past, still sporting a foul grin, and now extended his enormous black wings. The ugliness that had consumed him for all of his reign became more plain to all as the span of the midnight dragon's wings spread around him. The sight of the king alone was not what had stopped the prince. Titania stood only two feet from the king, staring past him in a trance.

Oberon laughed coldly, lowering his wings a fraction so that the sight of the girl became clearer for the group as well. "Doubt is such a lovely tool when it comes to controlling the minds of mortals," he said with a wicked hiss. He reached behind him and gently ran the edges of his cragged, grey nails through her dark hair. Nuada growled more loudly and moved forward. Oberon scowled and reached toward his belt, revealing a cruel blade fashioned from onyx. "Come any closer and her blood will fill the cauldron and awaken its evil."

"Titania, come here," Nuada said as calmly as possible. The girl did not turn to face him. He breathed deeply, pushing panic aside. "Titania, come to me."

"She cannot hear you," Oberon chided. "Your voice is not nearly familiar enough to rouse her from enchantment."

The prince's eyes flashed with hatred and hope. He turned to glare at the others behind him. "Do not stand there, call to her!" he ordered. He turned back as Oberon began laughing and reached for the blade. The group began calling for Titania, desperately begging her to turn and come toward them. The girl did not move as Oberon scowled at the odd crowd. He gripped the hilt of the onyx blade and held it out towards the prince. Suddenly, he swiftly turned and placed the blade at Titania's chest. Nuada's heart began to race. The girl was only human in body, but why had her spirit not fought against the dark king's magic? Had she become too weakened over the years of living with mortals? No matter what the reason, she was now in terrible danger. The group continued to call desperately for their friend, taking a few steps toward the stairs. "Titania, _please_, look at me; hear me! Come away from there now!"

"I call upon the spirits and flesh drenched earth that thirsts for the blood of the weak. Come, blood distilled in the line of kings and Celts, and wake the deathless few," Oberon said majestically. Nuada's eyes saw every memory with Titania, sweet and bitter, suddenly flash before him. He gasped and raced forward, drawing his sword and thrusting it at Oberon's chest. The dark king caught this sight from the corner of his eye and gleamed with excitement. In one movement, he caught the girl by the shoulder and pulled her to stand in front of him. Screams filled the room from the ledge and platform as the silver blade ran deep into Titania. She gasped and looked into the prince's eyes with shock and confusion.

"Noooooooooooooo!" Nuada screamed furiously. Oberon roared and spread his wings, stepping backwards swiftly and then hurling his faerie form up to the cauldron. He raised Titania over his head, still groaning and gasping, and threw her harshly into the cauldron. As the king flew back down to the platform, the prince dropped the sword, not hearing the blade clattering to the floor of the chamber and hitting many creatures and rocks as it fell. "Titania."

"She is not dead, my prince, not yet. Your aim is very poor and while she will bleed to my purpose, you have yet to truly pierce her heart," the faerie sneered. Nuada snarled and breathed sharply, clenching his hands into fists as he watched a red cloud begin to descend from the cauldron. He noticed that Titania's small hand still lingered over the side of the cauldron. She had caught the side and was trying to climb out! He turned his gaze back to Oberon. The only way to spare her life was to destroy this monster once and for all. "Now, I am sure the cauldron will be satisfied with her blood. I will retrieve her flesh for you on one condition; Anung un Rama must rouse the deathless few."

Red and the others, who had reacted in like manner, pulled out their weapons. As useless as they had been assured they would be, they knew they could do some measure of good by holding them at the ready. They moved toward the prince, glaring hatefully at the faerie and ready to deal damage if need arose. They had been told on the journey into the chamber that only a magical weapon would be able to kill the king. Had the prince known that the opposite was true, he would have called for the demon to aim and fire at the brute before even walking out onto the platform. Instead, they would have to settle for an all out brawl. The elf snarled and drew in a deep and calming breath, centering himself for the girl's sake.

"You have no power," Nuada said angrily, remembering Titania's words about the greatest way to undo magic or liberate one's self from it. Oberon frowned at him. "I have not come to quarrel about a worthless kettle. You are out of your realm, Oberon. This palace, these armies, and all the magic within belongs to the Bethmoora clan, to my father, to me."

"So you will destroy me and claim the throne, will you?" Oberon laughed. Nuada narrowed his eyes and silently drew his spear from his back and held it in front of him. Oberon's laugh faded as the prince's weapon extended to its full potential. The dark faerie snarled. "Do you know what you face, boy?"

"You feared death, you desired cleverness, and you seethed with foul craft. You have a human heart, empty and demanding of power that you will never see, beating alongside that which should have died in your own darkness," Nuada hissed. Oberon grinned triumphantly. His legend had spread to even the exiled prince. "Humans are the only creatures who could live for centuries with such darkness."

"And yet to stand firmly to defend one of their lifeless young," Oberon mused as he began to stride down the stairs toward the prince. Nuada stood firmly and continued to hold his spear before him. "Is it curiosity that drives you, or lust for the chance to humble one of their young?"

Nuada growled and held the spear aloft. "Your voice bores me, Oberon. Do you wish to fight me for the crown or shall you show wisdom and yield to my mercy?" the prince asked firmly and proudly. The dark king laughed, extending his horrible, sheer black wings once more. They had the shape of dragons' wings though made of the smog that strangled the cities Nuada hated passionately. It was as if this creature had been warped and reformed by all of the cruel filth of man's furtherance on the planet. Oberon held his hands out to either side, extending long, black claws from the tips of each finger. Nuala gasped and took a step toward her brother, her hand aimed for his shoulder to draw him back. "Abraham, defend your wife and keep her from harm's way," Nuada ordered without turning to face her. Abe nodded swiftly and took Nuala by the arm. Nuala argued with him for a moment as he carefully pulled her backwards. Red, Liz, and Dr. Krauss moved forward; each taking a position beside the prince. Nuada glanced to his left noting that the demon stood there with gun at the ready, then to his right where Liz stood taking her weapon in her hand and holding it aloft as well. The elf smirked and turned to face forward once more. "This is not your battle, Elizabeth Sherman; nor is it yours, Anung un Rama."

"Hey, I'm the son of Sheol, everyone's fight is my fight," Red replied clicking the trigger into place.

"I'm not letting Abe get hurt again," Liz added. Nuada glanced at her with one brow raised. Liz looked directly into his eyes. "Or Tania."

"Very well, then," the prince said turning back to Oberon and raising his spear. Oberon reached to his belt and withdrew an enormous blade that appeared to be a narrow, onyx stalagmite. "Be ready to assist when I call for you, not a moment before. A wound from a human or human's weapon may yet destroy him without hope of rebirth if I am wrong."

"Then I guess it's curtains for him," Red added with a smirk.

Nuada said nothing as he began moving forward. Oberon bore his razor fangs at the prince as his visage shifted into its natural deformity. It was frightening even for the elf, but Nuada remained silent and gripped his spear tightly. Oberon screamed menacingly and flew forward, slicing downward at the prince with his blade. Nuada shouted and raised his spear above him, thwarting the blow with sparks flying from the iron hilt. Oberon growled and drew backwards, his wings extending and flexing back. The elf narrowed his eyes and leapt into the air, curling both legs beneath him as he raised the spear and then aimed its magic blade for the king's heart. He dove downward as Oberon shrieked and moved to the left.

Nuada landed, extending his legs enough to catch himself and tumble to the left as well, stopping a few feet from Oberon and lifting the spear. Oberon raised his blade in one hand and thrust it down over the prince once more. Nuada quickly met the blade with the long side of his spear. The force of the king's hand on the blade kept it firmly on the hilt of the spear as Nuada tried to push himself upward. He growled and stood slowly, still keeping the spear under the king's blade. Oberon suddenly reached out with his other hand and clawed for the side of the prince's head. Nuada and Nuala shouted simultaneously as the brute's claws left deep gashes on the elf's face and ear. He forced the spear upward, knocking it's blunt edge into the king's nose while tossing the onyx blade from his hand. Oberon screamed and fell backward, holding his nose as dark blood began to course from him. Nuada leaned forward, grasping the side of his head tightly. Nuala did the same and breathed a soft spell, willing her energy to heal her brother. Nuada felt the blood cease to pour from the gashes as they healed. He moved forward and took the spear in both hands, trying to slam the tip into the faerie's chest. Oberon darted to one side and made it back to his feet as the prince continued to pierce the air and the surface of the stone floor.

"Wretched half prince!" Oberon snarled. Nuada smiled wickedly and twirled the blade around himself once. "You'll pay dearly for this insolent display!"

"You'll be in no position to accept payment," Nuada countered as he thrust the spear toward the king once again. Oberon caught the spear below the blade in one hand, holding it with a strength that caught the prince off guard. Nuada stared at him in disbelief as he leaned forward.

Oberon thought quickly. There was only one way for him to defeat the elf. He needed to fulfill the curse, to bring him to the breaking point. "Cease now, elfling, and I will ensure that the girl does not take the foul memories of you into the afterlife, she will not remember how you plunged the blade into her and have always wished for this moment, to see her lying dead," he hissed. Instinctively, Nuada turned towards the cauldron. His heart leapt forward, shrieking at the sight of a hand still lingering over the side of the cauldron. Titania's flesh appeared as pale as his own. In a blink, the hand slid slowly into the rest of the iron pot as red mist continued to rise. A sharp twinge of hatred laced sorrow ripped through the prince, tearing the shard of grief at his heart more furiously until it had torn down to the very last shred of the apex. Nuada growled and reached forward to seize the king by the throat. His fingers wrapped firmly around the faerie's neck, pressing hatefully into his wind pipe. The elf felt his heart beating thunderously, out of control as his breath grew short and shallow. His eyes began to glow a deeper, more red than ever before. Nuala shrieked as she noted the dark markings on him growing more vibrant by the second. Liz and Red stepped forward.

"Nuada, no!" Liz called.

"Hey! You're letting him get you where he wants you!" Red added as he took several steps toward the prince and the dark faerie. "Nuada!?"

The prince could barely hear the two as the shard ripped the final portion of his heart free of its other half. He gasped and gripped his chest with a shrill scream. Nuala felt an icy blast move through her as the link disappeared entirely. It was cold and lonely even in the presence of all these beings to be without her brother's mind. She dropped to her knees and began to wail. Abe knelt, but looked toward the sight of the prince still battling the dark king and his own curse. Oberon's eyes widened, his smile broadening as he took in the sight of his triumph. Nuada stepped back, clutching his chest. He dropped to his knees as well, suddenly filled with uncontrollable remorse and sorrow. He saw himself standing, trembling, helplessly at the sight of his mother reaching her hand out to him as it grew cold and became stone. He saw himself walking away from the simple palace beneath Manhattan, hearing his sister's cries in the background. He saw himself reaching his own hand toward the form of his father lying motionless on the pipe-throne as the butcher blade protruded from his chest. He felt the dagger from his sister's hand plunge into his chest as the sharp pain continued.

"Nuala," he wept softly. He suddenly felt the same cold in his heartbreak, the loss of his sister's presence. It was the most isolated and dejected he had ever been in all his long years. He cupped his hands over his face, weeping as the curse reached fruition and filled every fiber of his being with desperation.

Oberon laughed and reached behind him, retrieving the blade. Red growled and moved forward as the faerie loomed over the prince with the blade. He turned to the demon and gave a wicked grin. "Come any closer, demon, and I will cleave him in two," the king snarled. Red froze and raised his gun to fire directly into the king's head. Oberon laughed once more. "Lower your weapon and prepare to wield mine. The lives of your friends, your mate, and your children, depend upon it!"

"Death to Oberon!" a shrill voice suddenly said from several feet away. The dark king, the demon, and his companions from the bureau looked around in confusion. The strange form of a large raven flew in from one of the tunnels at the far end of the room. Liz gasped and stepped in front of Red as the raven came to rest in front of him. Red looked in bewilderment at the raven as it began to grow, folding its enormous wings over its shifting body until it was large enough to stand as tall as the dark king. It lowered its wings, revealing the pale form of the Morrighan, her dark eyes focused in wicked delight as she grasped a bloodied sack in one hand. She turned slowly and faced Oberon. "I have swept the battle field and picked the corpse of every dark faerie from its face. Every goblin fallen has been washed from the stone that cradles Bethmoora's throne. Now, there is only one last cleansing."

"You insufferable she-witch!" the king hissed. He raised the onyx blade and held the tip out towards her. "What possible cause do you have for being here?!"

"To cleanse the last of the blood from the palace," she said with a wry grin. Oberon gripped his blade more tightly and advanced toward the Morrighan, ready to commit an ultimate sin against his kind in killing one of the sisterhood. The raven-elf smiled and reached into the sack. As Oberon extended his wings around him and approached, the Morrighan pulled forth a severed head, grasping it tightly by its locks of straggly grey hair. Dark blood trickled between her fingers and over her hand and arm as she held the head out for the king to see. The cragged grey skin was spattered with blood that had pulsed momentarily from a hole in the forehead. The eyes were blank and still widened in terror while the mouth, lined with jagged fangs, lay twisted forever in a final scream. Oberon froze and gasped in recognition. The Morrighan smiled as she threw the head of Oberon toward him, laughing evilly. "You are finished! Undone by a mortal!"

"Impossible!" Oberon shouted harshly. "There are no mortals here who do not cower before me or linger in remorse for their precious elf prince!"

"Truly?" the Morrighan asked with a hidden joy. She turned and allowed the sight of another human to come into view. Oberon narrowed his eyes and focused on the distant being just as he noticed the silver, rounded end of a pistol as well. **BANG!** Oberon froze, gasping. The Morrighan snarled and reached forward, taking the onyx blade in her own hand and raising it to the right. Oberon glanced down at the form of the fallen head near him. Blood began to course from the bullet hole in its forehead, oozing into a dark pool around his feet and robes. He screamed as the Morrighan swiped one powerful blow with the blade, severing the king's head. Red and the others watched in amazement as the Morrighan reached down and retrieved the head. There was only one head, not two. She smiled victoriously and shoved the ball of filth and blood into the sack before kneeling and warping back into raven form. She clutched the end of the sack in her talons and flew towards the edge of the room once more. "Well done, Thomas Manning! Oberon is dead! Long live Prince Nuada Silverlance, lord of the nightlands and leader of its peoples!"

The group watched the Morrighan fly past the figure of Thomas Manning, still holding the pistol aloft and shaking as he stared at the fallen body of the king and the prince kneeling not far away. Red breathed heavily as Liz rushed towards the kneeling prince. He reached out one arm and caught her. She looked up at him in confusion as the red mist that had filled the lower portion of the room began to slink back into the strange cauldron at the top of the stairs. Titania's pale hand began to slip into the cauldron more fully. Liz frowned, fighting away tears, as she pulled free of her husband and raced past the elf and faerie. She stumbled up the stairs and caught the edge of the cauldron, looking in furiously. Titania floated peacefully in the pool of goblin blood then suddenly began to sink. Liz screamed and reached, taking hold of the girl's hands as she pulled her upward. The girl was completely motionless making not even the slightest sound of breath or pain as the pyro pulled her free and carried her down the stairs. She panted heavily and watched as Nuala and Abraham moved beside Nuada. The prince suddenly looked up and noticed Liz setting Titania on the ground at the base of the stairs. Red came and stood beside her, gazing silently at the girl's lifeless form. From the other side of the room, Thomas Manning cried out.

"Titania!" he shouted and began furiously trying to reach the central portion of the room.

"Titania," Nuada whispered. He shoved his sister and brother in law away, crawling towards the girl as tears began to stream more silently. He reached one hand toward her face, trembling with grief beyond human reckoning. "What have I done?"

"This isn't how it ends," Liz breathed angrily. She looked into Nuada's eyes with fire beginning to dance from the tips of her hair. Manning suddenly scrambled up the majority of the stone steps to the platform and knelt beside the elf over his daughter. He panted heavily, and took the form of the girl in his arms away from Liz, calling to her repeatedly. Liz looked at Nuada in desperation. "You have to do something! Bring her back!"

"I cannot," he realized aloud. He trembled more violently and placed the hand on her chest. His entire being felt strangely hollow, as if his heart was no longer beating at all. Nuala and Abe moved to his side once more as Manning began sobbing heavily. The princess placed a hand gently on her brother's shoulder. "Titania . . ."

"Brother, there must be something we can do," Nuala said urgently. "You know of the old ways and spells more passionately than I. Surely there is something, something you can do."

"Not while his heart is broken," an old voice announced. The group turned, growing used to the sudden appearance of strangers in this place. The papery Modron began approaching the team with the rest of the sisterhood not far behind. The twins bowed their heads momentarily as the females stopped a few feet from them. "His curse must be lifted in order to break the spell."

"How do we break the spell?" Liz asked hurriedly.

"Why, have none of you read the passage?" the Modron said with shock and slight disappointment. The group stared at the woman with anger forming. She sighed. "If love but for a moment finds, sorrow in his weary mind, desperation's healing is the purity in true love's kiss."

"That's been done!" Abraham exclaimed. "I know for a fact that he and Titania have shared at least one kiss."

"Who said anything about the kiss coming from the human girl? How could she possibly show him true love? She hasn't lived nearly long enough to prove truth or love to him, silly fish-mortal," the Modron replied with a corrective wave of her hand. The parchment-laden crone turned and smiled at Nuala, her violet eyes glistening with power in revelation. "True love is granted past sin and ages of the earth, it is tested fully and proven with unconditional reciprocation. There is only one being here that has ever truly loved Prince Nuada."

"Who is it?!" Liz and Red asked furiously. The Modron smiled brightly.

"Princess Nuala," she replied.


	38. Sealed With a Kiss

**Chapter 38**

"What?" Abe exclaimed in shock.

"Oh for the sake of all that sacred lives," the Modron sighed. "Nuala has loved her brother past his cruelty and has put all else aside at times to care for him. The only other being to love him so deeply and give their all for him is no longer living."

"Mother," Nuala whispered. She turned to her brother, whose attention was focused on the still form of Titania. The wound on her chest was not visible through the bloodstains on her sweater, but the prince could clearly feel their effect. He sobbed heavily as her father pulled her tightly to him and begged her to awaken. Nuala moved toward her brother, wondering just how much truth there was to what the Modron was saying. The old woman had never been wrong before. Nuada simply stared in desperation from father to daughter, his eyes turning from red to a deep brown. Nuala frowned and took him by the arm. The prince did not stir or turn to his sister; he remained staring straight at the girl and sinking inwardly. Nuala breathed deeply. "I cannot bear to see you so heartbroken any longer, and now I have the means to heal you." She glanced at Abraham, trying to remember how the healers in the past had performed their spells. Her husband looked terribly uncomfortable at this idea, but was keeping silent.

Nuala suddenly remembered the images on tapestries of healers. The healer would place the palm of the left hand on the crown of the other's head and the right on their chest just under the heart to prevent the magic from slipping from one end of their body right out the other. The crown, she remembered, was where all energy and life entered the body when it came to magic. She lifted herself on her knees as she knelt beside her brother and pulled his head toward her with her left hand, her thumb resting on his temple and her fingers fanning out over the back of his head past the wound Oberon had inflicted. She gently placed her right hand over his heart, shuddering at how cold he felt even beneath the leather armour. She fought away the urge to begin weeping once more and focused on her brother. She turned once more to her husband and swallowed hard, unsure of what a spell as powerful as this would do to either of them. She looked down, still gripping her lifeless brother tenderly. "I have given my heart in marriage, my husband owns all the heart I have to give and all my affections . . ." she said softly as she leaned forward. "But for you, my brother . . . anything." Nuala pressed her lips tenderly into the crown of her brother's head and breathed deeply, lingering as she felt warmth moving from her breath to his life-force; their link was returning. Bright heat churned in the princess's eyes and seemed to course through the prince, filling him and soothing away the pain and torment the shard of grief had torn for years within. Memories flooded back of happy, carefree days in the palace with their parents; of exploring the otherworld, of Nuala's marriage to Abraham, of Leopold's birth, and of Nuada's love for Titania. The two embraced more fully as the prince felt strength return to his limbs, banishing the torment of desperation once and for all.

"Nuala, my sister," the prince said softly, pulling his sister more tightly to him. Nuala sobbed slightly and pressed in against his heart with her hand, regretting terribly how she had destroyed his life once. It had led to something wonderful, but the memory and hurt that dwelled within him at this memory would forever far outdo anything he had ever done to her. Fortunately, she felt the liberation of forgiveness in both of them. They stared gratefully into one another's eyes momentarily.

"There is still one life left to preserve, if you please," the Modron interrupted once more. The group turned to her as she gestured towards Titania and Thomas Manning. "The girl's life is disappearing by the second. If you do not act quickly, she will die."

"What do I do to save her?" Nuada asked quickly. The rest of the group came and stood around the still kneeling prince, the girl and her father, and the princess as she rose slowly to stand beside her husband. Abe took her hand and looked sadly at the girl and her father. "I will give everything to save her."

"Nothing should be sacrificed in the name of life, Prince Nuada, learn that now," another voice announced. The group looked around in confusion.

Dr. Krauss suddenly pointed up toward the ceiling at the far end of the chamber. "Look! Vas ein wunder!" the entity exclaimed as the sight of four creatures of varying shapes and sizes and comprised of light flashed and warped until coming to rest beside the Modron. There was a brilliant white mare, the raven had appeared earlier, a white dove, and a large black cat.

The large black cat smiled and arched its back as its fur grew into dark blue robes and long grey hair. The raven became the Morrighan just as quickly while the mare became the Epona, clothed in white and red, and the dove became the Clionatha, clothed in soft blue and green. Everyone seemed to be more drawn to the old crone that had been the cat, and with good reason. "I trust that you know by now that all life is first and foremost important to anything else in the kingdom, but the love you have for her will make her life seem all the more important to you," the woman said. This was the voice that had spoken a moment ago.

Nuala knelt instantly while Nuada took three steps toward the woman and knelt, bowing his head. "Ceridwen, great mother after Danu," he said softly. The woman nodded to him. "Please, use whatever means necessary to heal my friend, to restore her life."

The old woman glanced past the prince and frowned at him. "Why? She seems at peace and would be satisfied to continue on the other side knowing that her friends and family are safe and sound and that all was victorious for you," the woman explained. Nuada's eyes shifted, appearing to display a miniscule amount of the heartache he had suffered for years. "Why would the presence of the life of this human matter so greatly to you?"

"Ah, but she is not entirely human. I know this. Her spirit is Danan, one of the she-elves that sought to school man in the ways of the forest so many years ago," he explained excitedly. "Surely you can restore her."

The Ceridwen narrowed her kind eyes at the prince in confusion. "Prince Nuada, the last of those that served the forest came back to us many years ago, long before this girl's birth. They have long since been away from this realm," the Ceridwen said with a sad smile. "Titania Rhiannon Manning is descended from a proud line of forest guardians, of the Celts, but all were and are quite human."

Nuada turned and stared down at Titania with shock and horror. Human? No, it was impossible. She hadn't behaved much like a human at all (except for being emotional and unreasonable on a few occasions) and he had been convinced by her eyes and movements that she was elf kind. His breath sharpened. A human, he had fallen in love with a human girl. He knelt and placed a hand on his head, trembling with the terrible realization that she had been human all along. The Ceridwen and all others in the room frowned as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"As I said, as a _human_, she would be most content to enter the afterlife knowing that all her family and friends are safe and that you were victorious," the Ceridwen said. She turned and nodded to the Morrighan who began to move toward the girl. As she walked slowly down the stairs, a heartbroken silence moved over the group from the Americas. Nuada remained kneeling and silent, still looking very wounded that a human had been his focus all this time. The Morrighan passed by him, slowly, as she made her way toward Titania and Thomas Manning. She stopped as she felt the prince take a good, firm grip on her robe. He rose slowly, turning his gaze slowly to meet hers. She stayed still and stared at him emotionlessly.

"Please, _please_, use whatever means necessary to heal my friend, to restore her life." The prince breathed deeply and gripped the Morrighan's arm tightly. She scowled at him, pulling her arm free. "Human life has been restored before by the sisterhood," he continued as he turned and gazed longingly at Titania. The Morrighan scoffed as he hesitated and tried to think of something more to say on her behalf. He turned and glanced past his aunt to the Ceridwen. "There is enough life and hope here to restore her, I know there is."

The Ceridwen smiled. "But to restore a human, my prince, there must be one with a flame of life to give and the Aine is no longer among us." Her words felt bitter and hopeful for the prince. The Morrighan growled softly. Nuada turned and looked at Liz with near desperation.

"There is one that could take the position," he said. The Morrighan growled more loudly. She tried to move past the prince toward the fallen girl, but found herself held firmly by him once more. She snarled at him, staring hatefully into his eyes. "Elizabeth Sherman, I offer you a position in the sisterhood of magic," he said aiming each word at the pyro with urgency. She breathed deeply and glanced around anxiously. "Your powers of inner flame would serve our people greatly in healing and guiding. You would be given the mantle of immortality and . . ."

"You have no right to offer anything," the Morrighan hissed. She had helped her nephew to victory, but she would not see her sister replaced. Nuada glared at her just as harshly. "You have no power to give such a position to a mortal; nor are you in power to prevent me from claiming a mortal."

As the Morrighan tried to move past the prince once more and pull her arm free, she felt him grab her by the shoulder and use simply the palm of his hand to force her to the ground, kneeling before him. She hissed at him, but found herself unable to rise as he kept his hand pressed cruelly into her shoulder. He turned back to Liz and inhaled sharply. "We are losing time," he whispered. The Ceridwen stepped forward looking from pyro to elf with anticipation. "Will you accept?"

Liz glanced at Red for momentary approval. The demon nodded quickly at her and motioned for her to get to it right away. She rose and hurried up toward the other women pushing aside any feelings of awkward misplacement. "I accept," she said flatly. The Ceridwen reached into a small pouch within her blue robes and withdrew a sheer cloak. She smiled and stepped forward, placing it around the woman and covering her head with the hood at its top. The sheer robe rippled and faded while Liz shuddered. She felt a sharp heat envelope her with the cloak and a biting cold wash over her as it dissipated. The Ceridwen stepped back and admired her.

"The Bethmoora Clan has offered you the position of the Aine in the sisterhood, Elizabeth Sherman, and you have accepted The Mantle of Immortality. Come and begin your first task," the Ceridwen said with a majestic gesture towards Titania and her father. "Let us restore life to the human that has revived our king."

Liz nodded and walked with the other four women down the steps. They gathered around the girl and her father. Nuada released the Morrighan and smiled at her triumphantly. She snarled and stormed over to stand in the circle the women had formed around the small family unit. Nuada gently pushed past the Modron and the Clionatha to kneel beside the two. The Ceridwen nodded to each sister in turn. All knelt. Liz gulped and wondered to herself how on earth she would begin to know what she was doing. The women each clasped one another's hands, joining themselves to the sister directly beside them. The Morrighan snarled and cleared her throat.

"All life begins with an end, all births stem from deaths, and all creation began with the destruction of utter darkness," she stated proudly. She turned to The Ceridwen who sat beside her, and nodded.

"Nurturing of the earth, a steadfast root, and unwavering love create purpose in all beings," she stated melodically. She turned to the Modron kneeling beside her and nodded. Liz drew in a sharp breath and began to tremble slightly. If she didn't do this right, Titania would die. How could they expect her to know what to say and do on the spare of the moment!? She calmed herself. It would come to her, it had to.

"All experiences and moments in life create knowledge, the application of this knowledge creates wisdom, and in wisdom lies growth and new development," the Modron stated firmly. She turned to the Clionatha kneeling beside her and nodded.

"Songs, prayers, laughter, and all manner of expressions create the healing that flows from air to lung, from lung to heart, and from heart to the healing of others," the Clionatha said softly. She turned her sky blue gaze to the prince and nodded to him. Thomas Manning watched in amazement and discomfort as the elf took his daughter slightly from his arms, tilted her head back, and placed his still dark lips over hers. He breathed into her and closed his eyes before sitting back away from her. Liz sighed and saw the Clionatha turn to the Epona and nod.

"Liberation and freedom create the vessels for life beyond the body and house the spirit when it is most weakened," she said. Liz felt the Epona squeeze her hand ever so gently. She gulped and suddenly felt a warmth in the back of her mind. Words flooded her thoughts and the urge to speak created a heat in her throat as well. She opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath.

"The flame of life that burns within all creatures can never be smothered or drowned in the presence of compassion; love lives forever," she said. She felt the Morrighan and the Epona release both her hands and a flame begin to flicker from the tips of the fingers on her left hand. She moved slowly toward Titania, kneeling over her head and reaching her hand over the hidden wound. She carefully allowed the flame to descend from her fingers over the entire wound, stroking the girl with glistening fire as if it were a salve. Nuada's eyes widened in amazement at the display. Thomas Manning felt his heart stand still as he waited for the impossible. Titania had grown quite cold by this point. Suddenly, the man felt warmth on his own fingers and a faint pulse in his daughter's body. He gasped and stayed perfectly still as Titania began breathing once more and her eyes fluttered open.

"Daddy?" she whispered as her eyes swirled and came to rest on the bureaucrat holding her. He gasped and pulled her more closely to him, sobbing into her shoulder as she returned the embrace. "Dad!"

"Titania," he sobbed. "I thought you were gone. I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I'm here, dad," she said as she gripped her father's shoulders and squeezed her eyes closed. "I'm alive."

Liz wrapped her arms quickly around the two, soon followed by her husband, Abe, and Nuala. Nuada stood alongside the sisters who gathered behind him. The Morrighan turned and morphed instantly into her raven form. She flew out of the room cawing with significant disapproval. The Ceridwen shook her head and placed a hand on the prince's shoulder.

"You have done well, Prince Nuada. The throne belongs to your family once more, the Aine lives among us again, the races are freed and empowered, and humanity has not lost a dear gem this day," she said with resounding pride. He turned to her, a little saddened that he was not the one clutching the girl, but otherwise very relieved. "I wonder who it will be that will die in her stead."

"What?" Nuada asked in confusion. He looked into the Ceridwen's eyes, hoping that she would not expound on this by saying that a being dear to her or of a similar nature would have to take her place. The Ceridwen simply chuckled and turned back to the hugging crowd.

"All lives must begin with an end, my prince," she said. "To do good, one must undo evil."

---------------------------------

Across the sea, Timothy Welf strode around the compound seething. The team, including Dr. Manning, had disappeared with the prisoner and the precious troll he had been keeping. Prince Nuada's blood would have made a perfect serum of life. He growled and thought to himself about what could be done to replace the prince and what should be done at the moment to punish the team. Paperwork would have to be involved first. While the hassle of paperwork had been used repeatedly to his advantage in the past, at the moment it created the same warm regards that it did in any other citizen. He thought for a moment. The princess had left with them, he had been told. Had she left her baby in the care of another? That was abandonment and a straight sentence to place the child in protective custody; _his_ protective custody.

He hurried for the library and congratulated himself silently on another victory through cunning. As he opened the enormous brass doors, a flash of orange and black swooped up at him. He cried out as Ravi leapt onto his chest and began growling. The bureaucrat did not speak tiger, nor could he interpret the beast's expressions enough to know that this was not a fatal attack. He shouted for assistance and scrambled to get free of the tiger. Ravi grunted and hopped off of him, standing a few paces away. As Dr. Welf rose to his feet and leaned against the wall with one hand, Ravi lowered his front section to the ground and snarled. This was the universal feline symbol for 'I'm gonna getcha'. Welf screamed and turned, running down the hallway as the tiger chased after. Ravi snarled and roared as Welf darted for the restricted containment area. He pulled out his own walkie-talkie and clicked the on button. His fingers slipped clumsily as sweat began to pour from his palms. He suddenly felt as if he had done far too many one armed push-ups using his left arm, a sensation that Welf himself had only ever known once, but could not think of any other way to describe it. He came skidding to a halt with a good distance between him and the tiger as he reached the door to the restricted containment area.

"Human status required for access. Please present code on standard issue identification card," a computerized voice announced from a speaker above the sealed metal doors. He groaned, feeling his mouth go dry and the world beginning to spin in dread. He reached into his pocket and fished for the identification card that he had forgotten to pin to his jacket. "Human status required for access. Please present code on standard issue identification card."

Welf's sweat drenched fingers slipped over the laminated surface and the card flew to the other side of the corridor. He felt his knees grow weak. What was happening to him? He felt as though all the strength within him was rapidly draining from his body as pain grew in his shoulder and radiated down his arm. He began crawling towards the card and suddenly felt the pain shoot straight from his shoulder to his chest. He cried out and dropped to the floor, clutching his chest desperately.

_A heart attack_, he thought, _I'm having a heart attack. I need to call for medical back-up_. He fumbled his right hand into his pocket and slowly withdrew his cellular phone. The pain was taking his breath away and making everything seem much more difficult than it would have been for anyone. Welf felt like he had less strength than the infant waiting in the library. He groaned and tried to push the auto call symbol for the medical ward. A soft growl from not far away caused the sharp pain to grow even worse. He turned his head slightly and saw the tiger move over him. The beast sniffed him for a moment. Welf gasped and moaned in frustration. Ravi snorted and looked at the identification card with interest. The tiger had seen this set up a few times at his last home, where his master had kept precious objects. He hopped over to the card and took the edges of it meticulously in his teeth. Welf watched in awe as the tiger placed his paws against the wall and held the card over the blinking laser that was set to read the code.

"Access granted, Dr. Timothy Welf," the computerized voice announced. Welf screamed inwardly as the tiger padded away through the open doors. He felt a cold darkness washing over him. The doors closed with a loud hiss and the laser began scanning the room once more."Human status required for access. Please present code on standard issue identification card," the computerized voice repeated. Welf grew still and silent as the voice continued its programmed phrase. As his soul shuffled away its mortal coil, he prayed madly that the words 'access granted' would be the next words he would hear in the afterlife.

----------------------------------------

Moments after the group hug had ended and Nuada finally took Titania in his arms, the army beneath the platform began to cheer madly. The prince and all others present knew that this meant victory had been won beneath them as well as over Oberon and the cauldron. The Ceridwen told the group that they had three days to rest and get to know the palace beneath Newgrange. On the fourth day, there would be coronation held for the prince. Nuada and Nuala took in as much of the outlay of the palace as they could, while still clinging to the ones they loved. Nuala had taken Abraham through one of the nearby portals to retrieve their son with Jenna and Ravi, offer a report to a few of the operatives at the compound, and bring back the good news to the others that Welf had died when trying to place Ravi in the secure containment area (as the report stated when his body had been found).

Nuada had tried to compute everything that had happened and come to grips with the responsibilities he would now bear. All of it still made his head spin. The few moments he had alone with Titania were awkward, and not always because of the prince's anxiousness for the future. Titania seemed more distant and reserved now than ever before. Her father watched her like a hawk, being thoroughly either asleep or coaxed away when the girl was alone with the elf. Nuada was beginning to wonder if Titania was experiencing some sort of inward change that he was best kept away from. The journey toward womanhood was more laborious inwardly than the passage from boy to man, or so he had heard from his sister. Titania was still quite young, though, and that would be an obstacle in keeping a dedicated friendship with her. He had planned, after three days of contemplation, to court her for several years until she was old enough to marry. That would please her father and give her plenty of time to develop freely. Still, it would take time and time was not something that always played out well for humans or that humans had at their expense.

_Titania was human all this time and survived a great deal at my hand, she is very courageous for a human_, he had thought to himself as he walked silently through the darkened hallways on the third night. _It would be unwise and quite tasteless to ask for her hand now, or perhaps at all. Elves cannot ally themselves with humans. Perhaps there is another way, a way to grant her the mantle of immortality as well_.

He exhaled sharply and leaned his back against the wall. The coronation would be a wonderful milestone, but what was to follow made him anxious. It had been so wonderful to be awaiting the victory; to be staying in the forest and anticipating the girl's visits daily. He sighed. There had to have been something he could do. He shook his head and began to walk back toward his bed chamber. Whatever it was, surely the Modron would know. He would inquire it of her after the ceremony. What a wonder this generation had been; he and his sister had been the first recorded twin birth among elves in history, the only two to see such magnificent changes in the globe and among the races, and now they would both be joined to creatures outside their own race. He smiled to himself. A human? This had to have been the handiwork of the creator's righteous humour.


	39. The Coronation

_((Sadly, my friends, the next piece of this story will be the last. Expect it on Monday morning. :sigh: This has been fun and I hope everyone enjoys the shocking, non-Shyamalan twist at the end))_

**Chapter 39**

The coronation began on the morning of the fourth day after Oberon's defeat which also saw the land growing very cold and covered in snow. Autumn was quickly fading into winter over Ireland. Nuada had awakened and felt immediately that the air had changed. Not only would the land soon change itself for the next phase of its seasons, but he himself was about to enter the next season of his own life. Was this how his father had felt when taking the throne? He felt a swelling of sadness as he dressed. He wished his father could be present not only to see his son's triumphant claim of their family's rightful throne, but also to give him all the advice he could about what was to come as the ruler of the magical races. In truth, Nuada was not as knowledgeable about the other races and lands as he would have liked to have been. Had his father? Come to think of it, would Balor really have been able to give him the words he would need to rule such a changing and changed realm? It certainly couldn't have hurt.

He stood in front of the mirror in the anteroom that led away from what would now be his bed chamber. He sighed heavily and fumbled with a large gold seal that connected two halves of a fur lined green cloak. He frowned. The robes he had been expected to wear were red and earthen brown with golden trim. His father had worn such colours on many important occasions during his childhood. How on earth had he managed to keep the clasp together? He grunted in frustration.

"I imagine he had mother's help," Nuala said from behind him. Nuada smiled, realizing that his sister had arrived only seconds before. She strode over to him as he turned to face her. She admired him for a moment and then reached out, taking the clasp and either side of the cloak in her hands, fastening it in one movement. "He was always in need of her guidance."

He breathed deeply and gently took both his sister's hands in his own. She smiled at him as he leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead.

"I shall always need yours, my sister," he added.

Nuala smiled and straightened the prince's hair and collar quickly. She had never seen her brother so prepared for a ceremony before. "The sisterhood is waiting, as are the rest of the court." Nuala gently pulled away, keeping one hand clasped in his as they swept out of the room. "You do not want to be late for this."

"I do not think that is possible," he countered as they walked hurriedly toward the throne room. "After all, it can't very well begin until we arrive."

Nuala smiled and continued to grasp her brother's hand as they moved through the enormous doorway that led to the throne room. A large gathering of magical beings, mainly fairies from the Black Forests, elves from across the sea, and the goblin army that had fought against Oberon, waited around the throne and on either side of the pathway leading toward it. It had been reported that Grindel and a horde of ogres were regrouping toward the east and planning an insurrection of their own. This did not worry the prince, but it did give the goblin army something to look forward to. Nuada gently released his sister's hand and motioned for her to go and join her husband. Abraham and the others from the bureau stood at the front of the crowd gathered immediately around the throne. Wink and Puck stood beside Titania as they awaited the prince's arrival at the throne. The sisterhood waited around the throne itself with the Ceridwen waiting patiently to crown the next ruler of the magical kingdoms.

The elf hesitated for a moment. He turned and looked directly at Titania for a few moments, trying to take in the last few moments of the girl before he was burdened with the crown. Part of him contemplated firmly denying the throne and handing it over to his sister. Not only was he sure that this would end poorly in that his sister did not want the throne, but he was also painfully aware of what the oppression of these new responsibilities would do to an already burdened new mother and wife. He sighed heavily and composed himself as he turned back to the throne. This was his purpose, what he had been born and bred for. He climbed the small set of stone stairs to the throne slowly. The Ceridwen smiled and motioned for the Clionatha to come forward, holding a crown that was nothing more than a simple wooden woven band with silver symbols of the royal family and the creed of the Bethmoora clan etched in it. She waved a hand over it and the woven strands gently warped and twisted, reaching several of their tiny limbs upward. In a split second, the limbs had formed eight branches spiraling up and out of the base ring. She watched the prince approach her and kneel fluidly.

"The crown of Bethmoora was established beneath Aiglin, the father tree, to govern the races of men, elves, and all manner of creatures magical and of nature herself to be granted by the race of wisdom to the race of guardians," the Ceridwen announced majestically. "And so, the crown of Bethmoora was given to the race of elves to govern the races fairly under the watch of the trees themselves. All who wear the true crown of Bethmoora answer to the guidance of the trees and to the weaknesses of all those under their protection." The Clionatha handed the crown to the crone and watched her hold it before the prince. "The sixth generation after the birth of the royal family has come to claim the crown once more." The woman nodded to him, waiting for his response.

Nuada rose slowly and turned to face the crowd. He glanced over them with slight apprehension. He had been so young when he had gone into exile and he had been away from his own kind for so very long. Was this truly best for them?

"I am Prince Nuada Silverlance, the son of King Balor and the Aine. It is my birthright to wear to take up the crown of my father and stand as lord of the Nightlands and leader of its peoples," he stated proudly. The crowd remained silent as the prince breathed deeply and spoke again. "Are there any oppositions to my reign?" The prince silently prayed, begged all powers over the kingdoms, to allow at least one voice to oppose. Silence still filled the room. He frowned inwardly. Didn't they know what he had done to his father? To the humans? To one of the last elementals? How could they simply sit by as a murderer once consumed by a goblin curse took the throne of the magical realm? "Very well then, then I will call on my consul and my sister to grant me guidance when I am in need."

The Ceridwen moved forward as he turned back toward the sisterhood and knelt once again. She gently placed the crown over his head, watching with a broad grin as the earthen circlet settled over his white gold locks above the sharp tips of his pale ears. It had been centuries since there had been a coronation, and there had never been a crowning with such turmoil and activity. She slowly pulled her hands away from the crown as he glanced up at her. She could clearly sense his apprehension and uncertainty, but her own gifts and senses told her that this was the single greatest and most beneficial event the magical kingdom had seen since their creation. "Rise, Prince Nuada Silverlance, and meet your subjects," she said to him with a kind nod. He breathed deeply and turned, rising slowly.

The prince tried to keep eye contact with Titania as everything continued. He called for Puck to be his advisor and act as a regent in his absence. He named Liz to the sisterhood and named Wink as his man at arms to guard him at all times. He called for Jareth to lead the armies of the magical races, specifically the Goblin Horde that had defeated Oberon. He then turned to Red and looked at him with something close to admiration.

"The earth has grown, not in size, but in its interconnectedness within all the races. The great gathering of trolls and other beings across the sea will need to be watched and governed as carefully as the courts here. I cannot be in two places at once, but I would have another act in my stead," Nuada announced. He took one step toward the demon and motioned for the demon to move toward him. Red sighed and stepped to the base of the stairs. "Anung un Rama, your strength and determination has seen you deny both the vile nature of humanity's indulgence and the draw of dark magic's treacherous power. I offer you the chance to claim the reign of prince regent over the troll market and its surrounding territories. Will you accept?"

"On one condition," Red answered lifting a finger toward the prince. Nuada gave him a side-glance and narrowed his eyes. Red smiled brightly. "I want a different name. I want my children to have this name and I want the world to call me by it."

"A name _**and**_ a title?" the prince mused. He nodded and gestured toward him regally. "Very well then, claim a title and a name as well. How shall you be called?"

"Broomfield," the demon replied, glancing at his wife. Liz smiled brightly, fighting away tears. "Red Broomfield."

Nuada grinned and nodded at the demon. "Red Broomfield, prince regent to the troll market and its territories," the prince announced. The crowd cheered. The elf tried once more to get Titania's full attention. Why did she seem so distracted? She wasn't looking at him at all. She glanced downward, clinging to her father. What was wrong? Had he done something? Distance was growing between them, a distance that would separate a human entirely from their previous joys. He sighed heavily and faced his sister and Abraham. "Then all that is left is to announce the still-standing birthright of my sister. In any event that I am unable to rule justly, fairly, or with wisdom, I relinquish all power to my sister, Nuala." The she elf stepped forward, giving her brother a firm look as she tilted her head toward her husband slightly. The aquatic man had held their child until this moment; now, Nuala held him as they approached the throne. The prince sighed. This was a moment he had least looked forward to. "I present to the court Abraham Sapien, my . . . brother." The crowd cheered. Abe looked at the prince in confusion. The elf ignored him and waved to the crowd for silence. "I present to the court my nephew, the son of my sister, Leopold Abraham Sebastian Balor Ludwig Nuada Sapien." The crowd cheered more loudly than ever, all the crowd except Titania. The girl still remained silent and pale, grasping her father's arm like a toddler. Nuada hid his solemn frown at the girl's resigned expression and waved a hand over the family. "Our court is complete. Long live the great wisdom of the line of the sons of the earth, long live the crown of Bethmoora!"

Music began to play. The crowd began to divide and dance, some beings one with another and some alone. Nuada watched Abraham and his sister slip into the crowd along with Red and Liz. Titania and her father disappeared as well. Nuada's eyes grew more heavy and his breath sharpened. He felt a hand grasp his shoulder gently. "You seem troubled even before your first act as Ruling Prince, my dear," the Ceridwen said gently. Nuada did not turn to face her. He heaved a sigh. "What weighs on your heart?"

"She won't look me," he said sadly. "She has barely spoken to me since she was taken. What has happened? Why will she not speak to me or at least raise her eyes to mine?"

"Even if the girl met your gaze, my prince, it would not be the same Titania that knelt and offered you bread in the forest. She is saddened herself," the Ceridwen replied. Now the elf turned to look at the crone with many questions buzzing loudly in his mind. He removed the crown and set it under one arm as he stared at her. The Ceridwen breathed deeply and moved to stand beside him, looking over the crowd. "The girl has seen darker magic than any human before her that has lived. She did not live through the first true attempt made on her life, my prince. She is realizing that you are not a fairytale and she is realizing that she is no fair maiden that will live on through the end of time happily."

"But that can be changed . . ." Nuada began with anxiousness. "I can find a way."

"Can you?" the Ceridwen laughed. Nuada turned and glared at her angrily for her amusement. The crone gently placed a hand on the side of his face with affection. "She will not accept it, my prince. She is beyond that life now, her innocence is forever marred."

"Innocence does not create all immortality," he corrected. "She cares for the forests too greatly to forgo an opportunity to nurse them for an eternity."

"Wouldn't she?" the Ceridwen mused as she motioned toward the sight of the girl still clinging to her father. Nuada frowned more fully as he watched them slip out of the throne room itself and into the hallway. Though the curse was gone, he felt a similar ache to the shard in his heart. "You must concentrate on your crown now, my prince. Remember your oath."

Nuada's eyes lit with an idea and hope. He smiled. "Yes," he replied softly. He thought back to the moments in the forest clearing before he and Titania had been forced across the sea. "My oath . . ."


	40. Of Princes, Stags, and Schemes

_(((Sorry everyone, but I just couldn't make this chapter the very last. I had to have one more with character development for the prince and a little for Titania, not much for her this time, though. The last chapter is due to be posted Friday if schoolwork does not interfere with the realm in my mind! Enjoy this one, it made my mom cry!)))))_

**Chapter 40**

The first month passed for Nuada as Ruling Prince and for Titania's lessons. As promised, the full moon saw the ruling prince return to the forest. In the meantime, the team had returned to New Jersey, including Nuala and Leopold (much to the chagrin of the reigning prince) to begin a new phase in their lives. Jenna had seen to it that the new facility that would be more conducive to raising a family began to be constructed immediately in upstate New York. Manning had been told that as soon as it was finished, his job would be relocated to playing the continuing role of supervisor and head of the paranormal agents of the BPRD. Jenna had been assigned by congress as the Wellness Coordinator and ombudsman to the new facility as well as continuing to act as the congressional spokesperson for the rights of paranormal beings. Manning had reluctantly allowed Titania to go home to England, assuring her that she was always welcome to come and be with him. The girl seemed altered, which even Ravi noticed.

The girl and the tiger returned to Bethmoora Manor with a relieved Nadia. Nadia had started her back to her lessons immediately with a hawk's eye kept on her at all times. Since the incident, Titania had not been back in the forest at all. Puck, who had stayed at Nuada's side as advisor and consul, had inquired of the forest creatures repeatedly about Titania, but none of them had seen her in weeks. Nuada had spent the first few days of his reign meeting with dignitaries of all the magical races and fixing the mechanical appendage he had made and re-made for Wink. The news of Titania's change in behaviour was terribly disturbing for him. He counted the days by the hour as the full moon approached that would allow him to visit with the girl. He had sent Puck ahead of him to go and tell the girl to wait for him in the same tree house he had lived in while in Bethmoora. The pwca had hurried off ahead of his master as Nuada tried to think of how best to approach her. What on earth could he say to her after all of this? He should have demanded that she be seen by the Clionatha and kept in the palace until her spirit was whole once again. He could thrash himself for not being more firm about trying to make sure that she was well.

The forest seemed different now. It all seemed very quiet and subdued this visit. It was well into the afternoon, but not quite near enough to dusk yet. He breathed deeply as he exited the portal that led to Bethmoora fully and gazed at the trees more intently. Something seemed to be weighing in the backs of their ancient minds. He tried asking silently what was troubling them, but the trees would not respond. He sighed heavily, growing weary of this refusal of communication from other beings as he ventured back toward the tree house. Puck stood waiting at the base of the stairs. He lifted himself on his haunches as the prince approached.

"Sire, Titania is waiting for you," Puck said softly. Nuada gave him a side-glance as the pwca frowned and scratched his head. "She's a little anxious about being in the forest, sire. Her mother does not approve, so please make this visit as brief and meaningful as you can. She needs tenderness, I think."

"In the least," Nuada said as he ascended the stairs. The tree house seemed silent and he could not feel the usual warm presence that he had always felt with the girl.

In the tree-house, Titania sat silently. Her eyes were fixed out the window onto the forest floor beneath the tree house where Nuada had fought with Seth. She frowned and felt a cold striking her from within. Whenever she had thought of magic, the forest, or the prince for the past few weeks, she felt the cold that had taken her when she had been hurled into the cauldron. She had not spoken to anyone of the cold that had existed in the foul blood that had lined the cauldron. She had not told anyone of the terror she had felt or the realization that she was dead with no hope of seeing home or family again. She had not even told her father of how horribly wounded she had felt at looking into the prince's eyes after he had impaled her and all the horror that had overcome her at seeing Oberon.

Magic was the enemy and no forest was safe from it. She needed to be in the city, she needed to be protected. She gripped her shoulders pensively; an entirely new creature had set up home in her body after the ordeal. No longer was she a spritely young human thrilled with her connection to nature. In his cruelty, Oberon had taken her spirit as his last victim and he had utterly destroyed it. She jumped and turned toward the door as she heard it open. Nuada entered the room and stood a few feet away from her as she slowly stood and faced him. She bowed low, still grasping her hands in front of her chest.

"I am glad to be free of the court and see you again, Titania," he said happily and moved toward her. Titania winced as he placed his arms around her. He frowned at her and stared down into her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's fine," she muttered. "It's good to see you again, too, I guess."

"You guess?" he said confusedly.

The girl looked away, breathing deeply. She wanted to have someone that would understand the cold and emptiness that she had suddenly been forced to endure, that she now carried everywhere with her. No one seemed able. Every time the idea that someone cared about her and they might be able to assist crossed her mind, a dark voice would hiss that they were void of understanding and it would frighten her away. No matter how many times she looked at the sky, she couldn't see yellows and blues, only the whites and greys of the clouds streaking it and blocking the light. No matter how often she tried to look out at the forest, she couldn't see the trees, flowers, grasses, and creatures, only memories of the harsh chill of the cauldron and the battles with the creatures that sought for the prince and herself. She shook her head and hurried past him, realizing that he was one of the things that could truly bring her harm. The prince stared in confusion as the girl hurried out through the door and down the stairs. He followed after. "Titania!" He caught her by the arm and held her as gently as possible in front of him on the steps. "Where are you going? We've only just arrived."

"I feel ill," she half lied and tried to pull free of his soft grasp. "I need to go home."

"I'll walk with you," he offered. Titania stammered, wanting to argue for a moment, but then finally nodded. The portion of her that loved the prince and cared for him was still strong enough for the time being to fight off her fear. This would not last long when not in his presence, she knew this. This would likely be their last few moments together. The two walked slowly, and awkwardly down the stairs. Puck followed after them slowly, not wanting to make himself visible to either for the next few moments. Titania fought the idea of taking both of her arms and folding them tightly around him and telling him everything that she had seen and felt. Why make herself so vulnerable to someone who had other things to think of at the moment? She sighed heavily and tried continually to quicken their pace as they moved toward the edge of the forest.

The prince did his best to keep a slower pace and ask as many casual questions about her life. Titania gave similar short answers to the ones he had given her when they had first met. He frowned, but continued to inquire about as much as he could without prying. He asked about her lessons, her reading, her mother and father, Ravi, and even Misses Badcrumble. As they neared the edge of the forest, Nuada realized that he had run out of oddments to converse about. Now he would either need to get more personal or allow her to go on. The first seemed too intrusive for the situation at hand, but the later was a form of giving up, something the prince had never done. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to summon a creature that had not been seen or heard by man in many centuries. Hopefully, the celebration still moving throughout the magical realms in Europe would allow him the privilege of summoning at least one. He watched as Titania hesitated near the forest's edge and turned to face him.

"I guess this is goodbye," she said softly.

"A moment," he said raising a hand. Titania frowned as he turned and smiled. One of them was most definitely approaching. He moved toward the girl and held out his hand. Titania moved backwards and frowned. She felt the urge to turn and leave immediately as a sense of being entirely exposed came over her. Nuada ignored the troubled expression on her face, he knew he could overcome it. Puck looked towards the elf and frowned as well. This was not going to end happily for either party. "I have something to show you. They are very rare and very beautiful. Come."

"No, I need to get home," the girl said, sounding more urgent.

The prince sighed and took a few steps much closer. "Please, Titania, it will only take a moment and it will do you a world of good to see them." The girl stepped backward all the more, staring at him as fearfully as she had in the moment that she had found out he had killed his own father. He frowned indignantly. "Titania, what has come over you?" the prince demanded almost angrily. The girl's apprehension was quickly becoming insulting.

Titania trembled and held her hands at her sides, clenched into fists. "They'll only seem beautiful for a minute, but then they'll get angry and ugly and violent. Everything in your world becomes destructive and dark when their glamour veil is lifted," she exclaimed, waving her hands at the last few words for emphasis. Nuada looked at her, eyes widened with a deep wound forming in his heart. "Everyone in your world is either fighting each other or mankind, or both. There's nothing good about this realm, not that doesn't have something twisted attached to it."

"You don't know what you're saying, Titania," the prince said calmly. He reached one hand toward her soothingly. Titania drew in a deep breath to force tears away. "You've been horribly frightened by the ordeal with Oberon and the rest. I will take you back to Erinland and the rest of my people will see you restored."

"I won't go with you, not anywhere, not anymore," she whispered. Nuada froze, staring at her in total bewilderment. "I can't, I just . . ."

"Titania, please," the prince said gently as he tried to move toward her more fully. Titania stepped backward, keeping a great deal of distance between them as she shook her head. Nuada stopped moving and frowned angrily. "Is it because I could not do everything you wanted of me? Is it because turmoil befell us both that you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, I . . ." Titania was now trembling and too busy fighting away weeping to speak as clearly. Puck lowered himself further to the forest floor and felt his own heart break at this sight. A lovely, pure child of nature destroyed. "I just don't want to see you again."

Nuada smirked and lowered his hand. He sighed and closed his eyes as he moved toward the edge of the forest. "You have said so before Titania, and you have yet to mean it," he replied. "When I return tomorrow night, we will discuss . . ."

"I won't be here," Titania interjected. Nuada froze once more. He turned and stared at her in shock. Was she in earnest? Would she really break an oath to him because of fear? She wrapped her arms around herself once more, rubbing her shoulders pensively and looking away. "I'm going to live with my dad, now. Mom thinks it would be good for both of us and she's willing to switch the visits I made to him to being with her. Dad thinks it will be for the best as well."

"You're leaving?" Nuada whispered. Titania nodded. The elf placed a hand at his brow, smoothing his hair back as his breath became sharp and angered. What an ungrateful, disdainful, treacherous . . . "Human," he suddenly thought aloud. Titania ignored him as he continued. "You are human, and your wounds run deep. You have no sense of the honour and dignity of my people, I know this." He stepped closer to her, now gazing deeply and sternly into her eyes as she continued to move backward. "But, if you have any honour and dignity about you, then you will be here tomorrow night when I return _**as you promised**_."

"I can't," Titania replied, unable to hold back half a dozen tears as they came tumbling down her cheeks. Nuada felt his heart ache all the more; not at thinking that he would be without such a wonderful friend and companion, but in realizing that he had caused such fear, or had allowed it to be caused. He turned away, feeling the same pain he could remember feeling when seeing the blade move from his hand into his father's heart. "I need to be safe."

"The forests will not be safe when you leave, Titania. I fear that Bethmoora has been preserved only because the sisterhood watched over your innocence. Can you not see what good you have done for my kind and what good they did for you? There is not darkness in every portion of my world," he replied with a mournful tone. "Even if you cannot think of the good you've done for me, realize that Bethmoora will come to harm without you."

"Not with you here," Titania replied as more tears began flowing from her eyes. Nuada tried once more to move forward and wipe the lachrymose stains away. Titania continued to move away, determined to prevent any tenderness between them. She breathed deeply, feeling desperate to be free of the conflict within her at all of this. She had changed greatly over the past few weeks and was nowhere near being able to fly freely from her cocoon. Nuada watched as she bowed her head one last time and whispered past a cry of sorrow. "Goodbye, Prince Nuada. I was very glad to meet you . . . really, I was."

Before the prince could respond, the girl turned and hurried away from the forest's edge and began sobbing loudly. Nuada stood perfectly still, wandering whether or not it would be wise and effective to follow after her. His heart felt more broken than ever before.

-----------------------------------------------

Nuada returned to the tree house the following evening before nightfall despite the protests of Puck and Wink. The rest of the court were a little unsettled that the prince had placed so much emotion on seeing this girl, but none voiced it. The young royal had overcome a great deal in his journey to the throne and no one wanted to turn his ambition into anger for the time being. His heart nearly shattered at seeing the empty tree house. Titania had not returned. Had she left as she had said she would? Surely even frightened she could not be removed from the tenderness she had for this forest! He sighed unhappily and sat down with his back against one of the walls. On the floor was the book of human poetry she had given him for his birthday. He frowned and carefully grasped it, opening to one of the pages that he had read many weeks before.

_You cannot change what something is  
If loving it has failed;  
For love's the metamorphosis  
Through which good hearts prevail._

He slammed the covers shut at the words. A more practical voice in the back of his mind told him that none of this mattered. He was on the throne of the magical realms now. He had more important things than to fawn over a little girl. He shook his head, allowing the practical voice full control over his mind and shoving the emotional portion firmly away. There would be plenty to do over the next few months. Humanity still had numbers too great for the earth to sustain, that would need to be remedied. The forests needed more room to grow and expand, that would have to be seen to at once. And then all the magical races needed reminding of their powers and freedoms, that was to be done immediately. The loud whirring and buzzing of machinery from a great distance away caught the elf's attention. His ears pricked up and began to sting at recognizing the sound of human machinations. They had to be at the edge of the forest, but close enough for the prince to still be able to detect them. He growled softly and rose. If the girl was not going to be present to defend this forest, then he would do it himself. He climbed down from the dwelling, feeling the vibrations of the sounds throbbing against his temples as he moved.

"Humans," he growled softly as he followed the painful sounds. "I should not have abandoned the drive to destroy them."

"Destroy humans?" Blinky the squirrel said from a few feet away. Nuada turned to the tree branch where the little creature and his companion, Whimpole, sat watching him. He gazed at them patiently, allowing the issue with the noise to be put aside. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Forests can't live without humans and humans can't live without forests! It's a mutual connection, you know; trees and man, man and trees."

"Silence! Lies!" the prince shouted angrily. The squirrels jumped in surprise as the elf raised his spear and aimed its blade at them. They suddenly wrapped their arms around one another and trembled in fear, the tip of the spear lingering a few inches from them. "Humans are the blight that is killing the great mother! With them out of the way, the forests will finally have a chance to be renewed and healed! Do not go about spreading such filthy falsehoods! If I hear one more creature defend their intolerable cruelty, I'll . . ."

"Prince Nuada!" a small, but loud voice called urgently. Nuada turned and looked around. He suddenly noticed Gavin, the hedgehog that had returned his sword, as he came running up to him and bowed low. He glanced one final time at the frightened squirrels, glaring at them reproachfully as he turned to face Gavin. "Your highness, something dreadful has happened in the forest!"

"Pray, does it have anything to do with that wretched noise and the scent of mortals that seems to be feeding it?" he snarled. Gavin frowned at him, suppressing the need to giggle at the sight of the two squirrels behind him making obscene gestures and mocking the prince himself silently. "Well?"

"Yes, your highness," Gavin replied, still trying not to laugh. "There are men in the forest, a large group of them with machines meant to remove trees and harden the earth. The Scatterhorn clan is already on the scene trying to urge them away. The Ceridwen bids that you . . ."

Before the hedgehog could complete the orders of the old crone, the prince dashed off towards the sound once more. He growled and cursed madly as he flew past the frightened trees out nearly where Titania and her mother had lived. It was a great deal of distance away from the mansion, but close enough to seem like it was an addition to the family's greed. Nuada hissed inwardly and burst through the thick line of trees at the edge of the forest. He noted the sight of the mansion in the distance and then noticed the sight of a great number of man's treacherous devices for raping nature. They were smoking and groaning in their foul vigour as they lurched towards the trees and began to scrape away the elder guardians and claw at the soft soil. Nuada screamed and leapt onto the hood of one yellow metal beast. He shouted angrily as he lifted his spear high into the air and slammed the tip harshly through the metal covering and deep into the machine itself. It sputtered and screeched as it began to jostle with malfunction. Nuada stepped backward on the hood as steam and odd fluid began to burst through the opening left by the spear. He quickly leapt off the machine and landed deftly on the ground, watching a stream of blackish fluid and dark smoke pouring from the wound he had left on the lifeless creature. As it groaned to a halt, its wicked extremities collapsing in front of it, a human in a dark blue uniform and orange helmet opened a panel from within the vehicle and angrily leapt out.

"Hey, pal! What do you think you're doing!?" the man demanded. Nuada turned towards him, twirling the spear menacingly around his waist thrice and then standing proudly, panting and glaring at the human. "You just cost me over 2 grand! Do you have any idea . . ."

Nuada lowered his voice and began to speak in the Gaelic he had vowed to bring back every corner of the earth after the destruction of humanity. "_Forest law states that all beings who disturb the soil or trees must pay; wound for wound whether it be tree, mortal, man, or beast. __**I**__ will carry out the sentence_," he hissed. The man's eyes widened in confusion at the prince's words not only because it was a language that he did not understand, but because the prince began advancing on him with the spear held aloft. "_Prepare to pay with your blood for the purity you have sullied with your emptiness_!"

"Hey, calm down, buddy," the man stammered as he lifted both palms upward and began to defensively move away. "I don't want any trouble!"

Nuada leapt forward and used the hilt of his spear to jab the man in the chin, knocking him painfully to the ground. The man cried out and wheezed as he landed on his back, still holding up both hands defensively. He trembled as the prince slowly moved the tip of his spear to the man's neck. He reared back, readying to deal a death-blow as the man began sobbing heavily and begging for the prince to be reasonable. Nuada ignored him, watching a small trickle of blood begin to course from the man's throat. A loud buzzing from a nearby chainsaw took the prince's attention away from his current victim. He snarled and twirled the spear until it came to rest under one arm with the hilt sitting across his back. He stormed hatefully toward the five men holding chainsaws as they attacked the trees. Past the trees, Nuada could see several stags, does, and little fawns from the Scatterhorn clan watching in horror as the men continued their work. Near them was an enormous white stag with grey eyes. It lowered its head, a tear rolling down its cheek as a saw ripped through the thick hide of a birch.

Nuada shouted and lifted the spear into the air once more, this time bringing it down into the saw's mechanic hilt and handle. The man holding the first cried out in surprise, having not seen Nuada or heard him at all. He jumped backwards as the prince reared back and readied to thrust the spear upward. The man turned and noticed his fallen companion as Nuada cut the next saw from beneath, slicing effortlessly through the machine with the enchanted silver. After the second saw was destroyed and the men noticed the hostile elf, the labourers all dropped their machinery and began shouting to one another to leave right away. Nuada watched, seething, as smoke filled the forest where the loud machinery had tried to destroy it. Within a few moments, the prince was standing alone with a great deal of foul smoke and silent metal surrounding him.

He clenched his fists and tilted his head back, screaming angrily into the sky. A familiar cackling shook the prince out of his display. He turned as the sight of the Morrighan flying toward him turned his anger in a different direction entirely. The Morrighan landed in front of him, laughing cruelly. Nuada scowled and raised his spear. He had taken all of his aunt that he could. The raven morphed quickly into the woman, laughing more wickedly than ever as she stood proudly over her nephew. She smiled as the final wisps of smoke that curled around her from the machinery cleared. Nuada growled and moved closer to her.

"The forest child left," the Morrighan said in amusement. Nuada narrowed his eyes at the woman hatefully. She turned and faced the remnants of the machines. She gestured over them. "The sisterhood offered protection as long as the innocent girl remained here. I suppose that her death in the cauldron of the deathless few stripped her of her natural compassion for this realm. Pity there was no creature here that could have defended her."

"Titania chose her path because of human selfishness, nothing more," the prince replied angrily. He raised his spear menacingly, allowing it to extend. "It is a trait carried by her kind and her kin."

"Do you really think that the Gael's heir that the sisterhood would defend, would be an ordinary human child?" the Morrighan laughed more scornfully. Nuada cocked his head in surprise, waiting for the woman to finish the rest of her arcane revelation. "The girl was descended from the coming together of the last line of the Gaels that aided your father and the she-elves determined to aid man." The prince growled more loudly; shaking his head and stepping backwards as the woman continued to grin at him in dark contentment. "And you killed her."

Nuada screamed angrily and thrust the blade toward his aunt, aiming for her shoulder. The blow would be painful enough to cause screaming that would end her cackling, but not enough to kill her. The Morrighan smiled and moved to the left. Nuada smirked and compensated for the move instantly, jabbing the spear to the left as well. The Morrighan gasped as the edge of the spear grazed her side, making a small cut on her pale flesh. Golden blood began to course slightly from the wound as she shrieked and clasped her hand over her side. Nuada landed a few feet away and stared with contentment as the woman stood, snarling at him.

"You wretched little whelp! I can remove your crown and see you executed at my own hand for this!" she shouted back. The prince frowned and lowered his blade. The woman smiled inwardly as she sensed him coming to the realization that she was right. The sisterhood had a power equal to the royal family. Attacks on the sisters were seen as direct attacks on the magical realms themselves and Nuada would be in terrible trouble if it was revealed that he had attacked the Morrighan. The woman smiled and began to stride toward him. "Now I can do what I have dreamed of doing to you since the day your mother was burdened with your existence."

Nuada felt a panic rise within him. What had he done? He had allowed ridiculous emotion to get the better of him, that's what he had done. As the Morrighan continued her roaring laughter at the prince's expense, the loud baying of an stag broke through the atmosphere. Nuada turned, staring into the distance for what had caused the sound. Suddenly, the enormous white stag he had seen at the edge of the forest came bounding towards them. The Morrighan turned to face the beast and screamed in surprise.

The stag thundered over the ground, lowering its head as it came near the woman. She had no time to move as the stag thrust its antlers toward her. The prince leapt backward, landing on the ground as the stag wrestled the screaming sister of death to what remained of the forest floor and began pawing at her with its hooves as if trying to thrash her. It snorted and grunted as the Morrighan tried desperately to get free of the creature. The prince contemplated stepping in and telling the stag to leave. It was an enormous creature and sported odd colours that the prince nearly found familiar. Sadness and anger were clouding any true way for him to accept any familiarity at the moment. The Morrighan finally wrestled away from the strange, angry stag's horns and hooves. She rose to her feet as the creature stamped and snorted firmly. She glared at her nephew as she straightened her dark robes.

"You will not be able to demand or smooth yourself out of obligation this time, nephew," the woman said. She glared at the stag and huffed. "The Ceridwen meant for you to reveal yourself to these men and drive them away without incident. You have failed. You will be removed from the throne once and for all. I will make sure of it."

Greater anger allowed sadness to take hold of his knees. He trembled furiously and sank to the ground, staring into nothing as she transformed back into the raven form. The stag bayed loudly at her as she flew away, cawing. Nuada placed a quaking hand on the tree that had been badly wounded by the saw. It thanked him deeply and repeatedly, assuring him that the forest would always bow to his family even if the magical races refused. He shook his head. It was not obeisance that he wanted now, it was the tenderness and happiness of Titania. That seemed to be all that mattered and it was out of his reach. The prince leaned back against the tree and fought angrily against sobbing. He was quickly losing the battle. Tears began to stream furiously down his pale cheeks. This girl was reminding him of why he had hated humans all these years.

"Nuada," an almost familiar voice said softly from behind him. Nuada jumped and turned. Standing a few feet away was the enormous white stag. Strands of grey, green and gold were interwoven in its fur and it sported an enormous mane/beard that began as pure white and ended in dark gold. It's eyes were a familiar grayish yellow and its pale nose twitched with silent anticipation. The prince stared at it in confusion. This was not one of the Scatterhorn stags. The beast lowered its head a fraction as Nuada remained seated and confused. "Don't be frightened, my son. I'm here for a short time, I want more than anything to speak with you."

"Arathir?" the prince whispered. He began to crawl towards the stag, shaking. "Father? Where have you come from?"

"At the moment, the forest. I owe the earth a great debt after abandoning it so selfishly. I sinned greatly against our people, against your sister, and against you, my son, but I have been given a chance to defend the trees for a few years and redeem my spirit." The stag smiled and inched closer to the elf. "I am most pleased with your victories both for the throne and for your own heart."

Nuada stared into the face of the stag in amazement. He carefully reached up one hand and placed it alongside the stag's face and gently stroked the white fur. The stag breathed deeply and stepped forward a pace, laying its head on the elf's shoulder. Nuada closed his eyes and felt true comfort, a warmth he had not felt in centuries, in all his adulthood, settle over him with the stag's breath over his shoulder. Balor grunted contentedly and nudged his son with fatherly affection. Nuada placed both his arms tightly around the old king's neck and allowed himself to fall onto the beast sobbing silently as he recognized the presence of his father's spirit and voice entirely. The two sat still, clinging to one another in trying to grasp the years that they would be denied in court. After a moment, Balor straightened his neck and pulled away enough to look into the pained eyes of his son.

"Come, Nuada, there is much for us to discuss and precious little time," the king said. Nuada felt the tenderness and warmth in his father's voice that he had not heard or felt since childhood, since before his mother's demise. He rose slowly and placed a hand on his father's shoulder. The stag's shoulders rose a little past the prince's waist and his neck rose proudly with his head nearly at Nuada's heart. His antlers were as widespread and weathered as the king's natural crown had once been. Most elves did not fuse with the crown itself until just before death, but Balor had grown weary at an early age having had his wife and son ripped from him. The two began to stride through the forest, fixed on one another's breathing, heartbeat, and gait. Nothing else mattered, only the silence between them and the reality that filled it. "My son, the crown will be a far heavier burden for you than for I. Already you have much to attend to."

"I know this, father. I have a great deal planned for our people and the world," Nuada replied, feeling younger with each passing moment. The stag sighed heavily and stood still, turning his neck so that he faced his son. "I know that you do not approve of my desire to purge humanity."

"Humanity needs to be disciplined my son, as you needed," the stag replied. Nuada stared at his father in confusion. The old king shook his head sadly. "I have such a heavy heart, my son. You were right then, of course, I was wrong to allow humanity to roam freely and to try and deny them the nurturing and guidance the trees could have given them. I was wrong to allow you to leave my presence so angry, to become so taken by the cold of the world. I was wrong to simply walk away. I was a coward."

Nuada felt an ache at the words he had said to his father in the last incident in the council chamber. He whirled around to stand in front of his father and take either side of the stag's enormous face in his hands. "You were no coward, father, you were confused," the prince said quickly. Balor smiled slightly and looked away. "You were only ever courageous for us, especially after mother . . ."

"Boy, I ran across the sea and hid beneath the surface. What kind of courage is that? I allowed the creation of a race of beings that man themselves would eventually try to use as a weapon, that would have eventually turned against me; there was no courage in the forging of the army and crown. There was no courage in retreating to the forests instead of defending them. Such wisdom you showed, my son, to say that only a true warrior would not simply die for the forest." Balor frowned and continued to walk forward, nudging his son with his shoulder or the side of his head when he could to continue showing what love he could as physically as possible. "It is up to you to reconstruct the link between the great mother and the children of man. What a burden you bear, and what a wonder it will be to see it completed. I have every faith that you will do it, Silverlance. I know you will."

"Children?" Nuada said in confusion. Balor chuckled softly.

"Mankind must be seen as children, my son. Think of how they behave and how they think. They are children and need guidance. Occasionally, a good, hard hand of discipline is required, but as generally speaking man can be nudged in any direction as gently as sheep," the old king replied with a smile. He glanced toward his son and smirked. "You will be more of a father than I ever was."

"That is not true, father," the prince countered firmly. He grasped one of his father's antlers and knelt on one leg as he stared deeply into his face. The stag froze and returned the gaze, noting the tears still hiding in the amber gleam. "I would have had no one else as my father."

"And I could not ask for any more wonderful a son, but that does not change the fact that your responsibilities and accomplishments will far outweigh anything I did," the stag replied placing his snout on the side of his son's face. Nuada frowned and closed his eyes, not wanting these moments with his father (no matter the aged elf's form) to end. Balor pulled away once more and continued walking slowly into the forest. "Now, as for this forest child that has eluded your grasp, you will need the help of the Aine'. She seems to know the girl better than anyone for the time being, except perhaps your . . . _brother in law_."

"Then you know of Abraham?" Nuada asked softly. Balor shuddered slightly and grunted. The prince was thoroughly amused at his father's similar disgust to having his daughter bound to any creature in marriage, but especially to a fish that was once a human. "Do you know of their son?"

"Leopold, my grandson," Balor said with a proud smile. "Your sister has borne a very strong addition to the line of princes."

"Perhaps he may take the throne," Nuada said looking up toward the sky as a flock of birds flew past, chirping anxiously to one another about the stir in the forest that evening. Balor grunted and stood firmly in front of the prince, staring at him harshly.

"Your sister is not the next link in the royal line, you are. Your son will sit on that throne and wear the crown," he said sternly. "The sons of the father rule, not the sons of the mother."

Nuada frowned. "Father, things change as the earth changes, sometimes. Nuala is just as strong and capable as I am. If her son would sit more fitly on the throne than even I, then I would give it to him," the elf replied as gently as he could. Balor frowned, then smirked and shook his head.

"You always did have your mother's independent thinking; believing in the power of women above simply healing and guiding; you really do believe she could have led our people, don't you?"

"Yes, father, I do," Nuada replied. Balor sighed once more and watched as the sky grew even darker. "My time is running short to be with you, my son. The Ceridwen granted me but an hour to speak with you. I begged for longer, but I was assured we would see one another again before I was allowed to be freed from the earth and join your mother."

"Can't you defy her? You were king! Come with me, father; come back to the court. There is room for more guidance, always. Please, father," Nuada said urgently, suddenly feeling a sense of child-like separation. He had been granted something truly unusual, the presence of his father after being killed, but it was coming to a close. This felt more dreadful than his death in the first place. "Please come back with me."

"Alas, my son, I have things to do as well. Bethmoora forest is my home for now. And that is only one of the reasons you must go and retrieve this Titania from across the sea," he said as he looked back toward the edge of the forest. "Her spirit will dwindle the longer she stays away from the forest. You will have to retrieve her within a year or she will die inwardly more than she did in the cauldron."

"She will not listen to me, father," Nuada said mournfully. Balor smiled more brightly and glanced at his love sick son with amusement. He could remember feeling as sorrowed and desperate to have Aine' beside him, though not for the same circumstances and certainly not with the same race of creature. Mortal women were a wonderment and a blessing, but they were as timid and tempermental as wild phillies. "I have tried, but she cannot even stand near me anymore. I can remember a time where she blushed to see me stand next to her and took every opportunity she could to brush against my hand. Now, it seems as though my very presence repulses her; no, worse . . . terrifies her."

"She is young, human, and female, a volatile combination that you will come to enjoy," Balor laughed.

Nuada frowned and narrowed his eyes at his father. "She will age, father. She will leave the one behind for a time and then be rid of her humanity shortly after."

"Unless there is a favour granted to her," Balor said with a shrug of his shoulders. He moved two paces past his son and slightly turned his head to him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "At the moment, my son, she fears her own mortality. She was not truly aware of it before, really she was never meant to be as a forest child, but now that she is she has been more wounded than any creature before her. If the issue of her mortality were removed by, oh, let's say the position of the sister of the seasons, then her fear would no longer be an issue and communication would be clear between the two of you. All it takes is placing the mantle of immortality about her and the fear will be lifted."

"But father, the Ceridwen handles such matters," Nuada argued. Balor smiled, shaking his mane and antlers. "I am without the power to give the mantle of immortality."

"Piffle," the king replied. "Any creature of power in the magical realm with proper knowledge of the sisterhood can bestow the gift once." Nuada's amber eyes glowed brightly past the darkness that still encircled them. Despite the curse being lifted, the prince still retained his unique markings. In truth, the prince, princess, and Titania herself had been relieved to see his individuality in this regard remain intact. He watched as his father stopped and stared into the forest more fully and frowned. It was near time for him to be going and there would not be time in the near future for them to see one another. The stag looked towards the sky and frowned. "Please, great mother; it is only for a moment. I never got the chance."

Nuada watched in confusion as a soft rumble of thunder answered Balor's question. The stag smiled brightly and lowered his head to a stiff angle at his shoulders as his fur began to ripple. The prince stared in awe as the stag's body lengthened and the antlers shrank considerably. The hooves shifted and softened into pale hands at the ends of a white, fur robe. In a few moments, Balor the elf stood before his son and placed his arms tightly around him. He breathed deeply pulled his son's head over his heart, savouring what time he had of this gift. Nuada leaned gratefully into his father, allowing tears to fall as he also took in as much of the embrace he had loved as a child and would now be without being king himself. He sighed heavily, his breath sharpened and grew short as he felt his father readying to step away. "I will miss you terribly," he said.

"I was glad to see you return from exile, my son. I pined for you every day and every night, cursing myself for your pain," the king replied tenderly. He pulled away and looked into his son's face one last time with pride. "You will do well for our people. You will heal our lands." He stepped back as Nuada felt his limbs grow limp and lifeless with the sadness of seeing his father leave again. The king lowered himself and became the stag again. He shook his head and turned, striding away slowly. Three paces into his journey, he stopped and turned. "One last thing, my son. I did hear you."

"Heard what, father?" the prince asked in confusion.

"I heard what you said as you stood before me at the end," the king replied. He smiled and lifted one leg as he began to move on. "And to that I say to you, I have always loved you as well."

Nuada smiled and pushed away all sadness in thinking of how wonderful these few moments had been. A strength, a renewed confidence, and a disregard for what the Morrighan would say to the sisterhood were all burning brightly within him. His father was right. There was much to do and he had more than the power and will to do it all. He focused his eyes back on the edge of the forest and began to move hurriedly in the direction where the men had gone running after his assault. He noted that there were now flashing lights in the distance, the klaxon blaring of sirens and the muttering of human complaints. He smirked and strode calmly into the group of men that had gathered near the mansion that had been Titania's home. Her mother, her selfish human mother, must have had something to do with this disturbance in the forest. No doubt she was taking out some sort of vengeance on the ones that she blamed for the harm that had come to her child. _Fool_, he thought to himself.

As he approached, he could distinguish from clothing which men were considered the superiors of the operation by the expensive suits they wore. Nadia was among them, shrieking anxiously about how she knew exactly who had caused the disturbance and how he had tried to kidnap, murder, and have his wicked way with her only daughter. Nuada froze as he felt an insult land in his precious reputation. Taking any advantage or doing any harm to the girl had never crossed his mind. He stopped for a moment and smirked. Well, maybe not never. He walked proudly into the group of men wearing suits and speaking loudly to one another about productivity. Nadia shrieked and pointed angrily at the prince.

"That's him! That's who's behind this, it must be him!" she cried. Nuada frowned at her and turned to the superiors of the men as other men in official uniforms (men that he recognized to be law keepers among humans in every culture) started towards him with their weapons drawn. He frowned and waved his hand firmly once, summoning a small zephyr. The wind shocked the officers and threw their pistols and clubs several feet from them as the prince withdrew his spear and held it aloft. Nadia screamed in horror. The prince turned to her angrily and raised the spear, slamming it into the ground in front of her.

"Be quiet, woman!" he shouted angrily. Nadia stared at him in disbelief as he folded one arm behind him and gestured regally with the other toward the men in suits. "Gentlemen," he said calmly. "Let us speak of peace."

-----------------------------------------

Abraham walked slowly into the library, glancing over one of the reports left by an operative that had visited the troll market recently. The group of paranormal agents that assisted the bureau would soon be moving to a large housing arrangement that had been constructed in upstate New York. This would not only give the agents a larger and more natural space to live in, it would give Prince Red Broomfield a better watch over the Troll Market and Elizabeth Broomfield, the Aine', a better connection with the rest of the sisterhood. So far, Liz hadn't noticed a significant change or call to duty from the others, but she knew it would come sooner or later. Abraham wondered about the library and more improved tank that Jenna had promised. The entire facility had been approved by Manning and the higher-ups, but the team had not seen any of the plans themselves.

Abe felt a cold change in the atmosphere and heard unusual breathing. He frowned at being unable to sense the presence that matched it. Nuala was in their bedroom with Leopold for the moment, Liz and Red were in their own room as well, but Titania (having come about a week before to live with her father) was nowhere nearby. She must have been back at her father's apartment once again. Spending so much time away from the team had not been like her at all. She had acted strangely since coming back. The girl had always spoken to him when visiting about the wonderful forest and how that it was more home to her than the mansion that she shared with her mother. She had even spoken of doing nothing but research and observation in the forest as her career. Things were so different now; she barely spoke of the forest and was incredibly reserved. The brilliant curiosity and warm, smiling glow that had been the girl's natural aura, were now faded and dull. No one, not even Liz could move past the girl's exterior for the time being. It made Abraham very unhappy and afraid for her.

Manning walked into the room behind him, scanning the packed boxes and last few objects with resolve. He placed another set of calcium tablets in his mouth and began to chew slowly.

"Will you be ready to go by the weekend?" Manning asked past the chalky bulge.

"I think so," Abe said, still hearing the unusual breathing and some other odd noises. Manning frowned and narrowed his eyes at the darkened portion of the library where most of the boxes sat stacked against one another. He raised a hand to Manning and motioned for them to move further into the darkness. Manning shook his head for a moment until Abe gave him a firm reproachful look. Manning sighed and pointed back to the hallway.

Abe frowned at realizing that Manning's fear was still an obstacle even after having faced the dark king. The fish man moved more cautiously into the darkened portion of the room. He approached the odd boxes that were still remaining along with glass oddments that were used to hold the liquors that Manning had set in the room to use for celebratory occasions or formal chats, neither of which were seen as frequently as the agent had hoped. Abe sighed heavily and motioned for the doctor to follow him. The strange scraping and other noises were coming from the other side of a set of boxes. Abe turned and motioned for the doctor to stay put as he leaned over a lower section of boxes and craned his neck to see over the edge. His wide, dark eyes bulged even greater as he brought a hand to his mouth.

"What on earth?!" he gasped. "Prince?"

Manning hurried forward and glanced over the boxes at the sight that had caught Abe off guard. There, seated with his back to the boxes and grasping a carafe in one hand, was Ruling Prince Nuada. The agent frowned and moved around the boxes quickly with Abe not far behind. Nuada noticed them and breathed deeply. He set the carafe down and watched the two stand in front of him in shock and concern.

"Abraham, Thomas Manning," the prince said with a heavy tone.

"Oh my god," Manning said in amazement as he stared down at the empty carafe.

"Your highness, have you been drinking?!" Abraham exclaimed. He had never explored the idea of what alcohol would do to an elf, but now it seemed like it would have been a prudent experiment. "Have you been drinking from that?"

"Oh, this?" Nuada said holding the carafe aloft for a moment. His grip lessened momentarily as the glass grew more heavy against his fingers. It dropped onto the hard wood floor and shattered. He frowned and shook his head as he turned back to the two. "Terribly sorry, but it's just as well. The water within it was horrible, very bitter."

"That wasn't water," Manning whispered as he placed a hand over his mouth in bewilderment. "Abe, your brother in law downed about two quarts of vodka."

"I'm aware of that, Dr. Manning," Abe hissed. He turned back to the elf as he began to stand and steady himself. Within two seconds it became obvious to Abe that the elf was not going to have luck in doing so. He hurried forward and caught his brother by the arms, lowering him gently to the floor. Nuada sighed heavily and looked into the creature's enormous black eyes. "Prince Nuada, I think you might be a little unable to walk."

"Abraham, I have come to accept the fact that my wife is your sister and there is nothing I can change to do that. In the meantime I will make myself a stronger wife and mother and be sure that she has all the freedom she needs to be a leader for our people," the prince said with surprisingly clear pronunciation. Dr. Manning was unable to hide a laugh at the prince's words while Abe stared at the prince in confusion. "What I cannot escape is how I have grown to need Titania. My father told me that I should speak to you and Liz about how to make her trust me enough to make her immortal."

"What?!" Manning demanded. He took three angry steps toward the prince as Abe raised his hand to try and keep him at a safe distance. "You think you're going to do what to my daughter?!"

Nuada frowned and used the strength of his brother in law to steady himself as he stood. Abe tried to gently steer the prince away from Manning, but even inebriated, the elf had strength and determination. He walked as steadily as he could, stumbling every third flex of a limb, and stood in front of Manning proudly. He reached one hand toward the man and gestured between the two of them as he spoke.

"Dr. Thomas Manning, I cannot live without your daughter. I believe it was the very reason I was brought to rebirth. Anyone could be trained to take the throne and live as royalty, and anyone could take up the sword for the magical realms and restore balances in proper strength, but Titania was meant for one creature alone and I desperately want to be that creature," he said. Manning frowned and gazed back at the elf in astonishment. Nuada felt the urge to cry and pushed it as firmly aside as he could, failing to show the start of it. He spoke with a quaking voice as he continued. "I love her so very much. I cannot live without her any longer and I know that she is doing poorly away from the forest. They are linked. She needs Bethmoora and Bethmoora needs her."

Manning closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Nuada frowned, unable to sense anything properly, but guessing that the natural drive of a father to prevent any other being from taking his daughter was prevalent in this man. The agent rubbed his head for a moment and then nodded, gazing back at the prince with resolve.

"You're right. She's been so unhappy since she's come to live over here no matter what we've done to try and accommodate her. She's been changed somehow," Manning replied sadly. "You know, when she was little it was enough to read to her or take her to just run around the trees in the park to make her happy, but nothing is making her happy now. It's as if she remembers what it was like to be happy and it hurts her to think that she doesn't feel it at all right now." The man sighed and monitored the prince's expression carefully. Even though the elf was most definitely intoxicated, there was a genuine gleam in his eyes that Manning felt he could trust for now. If the prince proved him wrong, disposing of him would be no problem with Red in his employ. He raised one hand and pointed a finger at the prince, but not in accusation this time. "She misses you, I know she does. She keeps talking about you when she thinks I'm not listening. You made her happy somehow. You have to find a way to get her back to the way she was."

Nuada smiled and placed a hand heavily on the man's shoulder with an unintentional smack. Manning grunted in surprise and watched as the prince leaned his face towards him. "Dr. Manning, I welcome any suggestions in doing so from someone who has a greater record of success in caring for her," the prince said. Manning frowned at him. "A man who immediately raced out into the rain after her upon realizing she was missing only a few moments over ten years ago."

Manning stared back at the elf in shock and then shook his head. No matter what he and Titania had shared as far as memories, there was still a great deal to try and get past to restore her back to normal. Nuada leaned forward all the more, looking more unsteady than ever. Manning grasped him by both shoulders and looked into his eyes firmly. "Her sixteenth birthday is next week and the celebration will be at the new facility. Abe and Liz will make sure that you get in and know everything you need to about how to dress and how to approach her." The elf nodded as the man spoke, trying to think past the fog in his mind. Thinking and standing had never been so difficult for him even while malnourished. "However, if you make things worse or at any time in the future create any problems for my little girl, I will skin you alive and give your pelt to Red to use as a towel. Am I clear?"

"Sir," Nuada replied, leaning nearly onto the man's hands as he still had both on his shoulders. The elf placed a hand on the man's other shoulder with a smack. "At that point I would welcome it." With the last few words, the elf fell forward onto the floor.

Abe moved to stand beside Dr. Manning, staring down at the fallen prince. Abe turned toward the doctor with a frown. Manning raised one brow and began to move out of the room muttering to himself and rubbing his hands together anxiously. The fish man groaned and knelt beside the prince. He suddenly heard a familiar set of footsteps moving towards the library and the breath that accompanied them. They belonged to none other than the elf's twin that held Abe's heart and attention. He could hear Leopold babbling softly in his mother's arms at this distance. "Oh dear," he said trying to take hold of the prince and turn him over properly. "How on earth am I going to explain this to your sister?" He grunted and finally managed to set the prince on his back so that he could breathe. Did he really want to help the prince get on the good side of innocent Titania after all that had happened to her? He shook his head. Perhaps this was the only way to get the girl back to the happiness and drive she had once enjoyed. At least with Red on the team, it would be easy to keep the elf under control. The task of trying to get the prince close to the girl without an ordeal would be almost as difficult as facing Oberon himself.


	41. Unicorns at the Midnight Ball

**Chapter 41**

Snow fell softly outside Titania's window as she awoke. She had fallen asleep briefly that afternoon. Her sixteenth birthday celebration was that evening. Her father and her mother both had done everything in their power to make it an incredible event. Her mother viewed this as her 'coming out' party to present herself as eligible material for willing and worthy suitors in the upper class while Thomas saw it as an opportunity to display publically that he had no problem pampering his daughter and killing anyone that tried to take her from him. Of course, it would be difficult for him to prove the later without someone intervening and making the opportunity more open to him.

The girl sighed heavily and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She stared out the window for a moment and then to the other side of the room where stacks of boxes still lay patiently against the wall. Titania had yet to unpack at all in her first week with her father. The new living facility made little change to Manning's or the girl's life, other than a shorter commute to work and back again. The girl hadn't visited much with the other operatives if at all. The only one she had dared to speak with for a moment was Liz and even then the girl had been tight-lipped.

She furrowed her brow as she gazed downward. What was making her so afraid of everything? She didn't want to be and she certainly hadn't always been. She sighed and looked down at the floor. Ravi was likely asleep in the den of the large apartment. The tiger had done little else beside pace back and forth in front of either a door to the outside or a window. Titania could remember a time not long ago when being in the same scenario would have driven her absolutely bonkers.

A flash of white from beneath the edge of the bed startled the girl. She gasped and drew up her legs with a quick squeak. The blankets suddenly found themselves wrapped tightly around her as she leaned forward to glance over the edge. She narrowed her eyes and tried to decipher what it was that had frightened her. An object landed on the bed behind her with a soft 'thump'. She turned. Sitting on his haunches with his paws folded neatly in front of him, was a familiar speckled rabbit with white fur.

"Oh, Titania you look awful!" Puck exclaimed. The girl stared at him in shock and stayed still as he took three tiny steps toward her. He shook his head and placed held up a paw. "Oh, that was a horrid thing to say. I am sorry, my dear. I have missed you so. The forest isn't the same without you. The snow is just lying there undisturbed and boring."

Titania said nothing as she looked over her former best friend with apprehension. Puck frowned and gestured toward the floor with his other paw.

"I've brought you something, a birthday present. It's in a box under the bed, right there." Puck waited for the girl to move and look for the gift immediately. No human in their right mind would simply stay still when presented with a surprise gift. His nose twitched with anticipation as she cautiously leaned over the edge of the bed and took a quick peek. A large, shallow white box tied with brown twine lay beneath the bed. She curled her lips in confusion and pulled it towards her with one hand. As she pulled it back up onto the bed with her, Puck clapped his paws happily. Titania looked over the box several times, always glancing back at Puck between the examinations. The girl did not open the box at all. The pwca frowned, sighed, and turned towards the edge of the bed. "I suppose I'll be on my way, then. I hope this evening is everything you've hoped it would be for the past three years."

Titania nodded to him gratefully and then looked back down at the box. Puck leapt off the bed and stood at the side leading under. He frowned and twitched his ears.

"You know," he began. Titania looked down at him. "I would give anything to be called Lewis again. It's such a refined title, really. Lewis."

The pwca waited a moment, noting that the girl was neither moving nor making a sound as she continued to watch him. He shook his head and crouched back to the ground as he readied to crawl back under the bed.

"Thank you," Titania suddenly whispered softly. The rabbit sat upright an inch and smiled. "Thank you, Lewis."

"Happy birthday, Titania," the pwca replied. He felt it best not to press the issue of her speaking and behaving a little less terrified in his presence or draw attention to it. Things with human females were often left best to blossom and develop all on their own. Puck scooted his body under the bed and rubbed a paw against the amulet that allowed him to travel wherever he pleased. He smiled back at the bed's edge as it disappeared from his view. "Now if only I can get the prince to understand that before he makes any further permanent attachments to you."

-------------------------------------------

The new facility was still being settled by its respective residents from the BPRD, but all of the team wanted desperately to be a part of one of the most significant and celebratory moments of Titania's life and to use their new dwelling to do so. In the back of her mind, Liz wondered if this would be a good place for Titania to be married. The girl had stayed very quiet in her room until the pyro had come to retrieve her and bring her into the main dining hall that had been opulently decorated and set up as a ballroom. Nadia had wanted to theme it after the jungle, thinking that her daughter's strong attachment to trees was on a superficial level that was actually a fascination for the colours and shapes of exotic breeds. Thomas knew his daughter better than that despite not having been truly attentive for the past few years. He had themed the entire soiree on forests, _enchanted_ forests.

Liz knocked on the door and waited patiently for a few moments. She could hear shuffling behind the door, telling her that the girl was still adjusting things to get ready for the evening. She smirked and leaned closer to the door.

"Tania? Are you almost ready?" she asked loudly.

"Just a minute," the girl called back. Liz smiled and stepped away from the door. A few moments later, the door opened slowly and revealed something unusual and beautiful. Titania had found a dress somehow fit into the box that Puck had given her without wrinkling or in any way bending the attachments. It appeared to be fashioned out of a dozen layers of green and brown chiffon and woven with strands of silvery silk. Small pearls lined the folds that criss-crossed in the front and led up to the waistline where a sash of deep lavender also interwoven with silver strands that created a pattern much like Celtic lattice work. The sleeves of the dress were layered and crossed much like the front, but came to large bell ends at either wrist with a sleeve of brown wrapping a section around the thumb to cover her arm entirely underneath the other layers. The dress was beautiful, but the sheer, opalescent wings attached to the back that flowed around her like a butterfly hovering at her shoulders, spread to either side crested and woven with pearls and silver strands gave it a beauty Liz had never seen before. Liz gasped and stared back in awe. The dress appeared to clothe the girl in the earth and all its seasons. Titania gave a small grin and lowered her head, folding her hands meekly in front of her. "How does it look?"

"Where did you get that? It's gorgeous! It makes you look like a princess!" Liz exclaimed. Titania blushed and smoothed out a panel of one layer, explaining that a friend had given it to her as a gift. "You look perfect in it."

"That's not unusual," Thomas said from not far away. The two turned towards the man's voice as he approached. Thomas smiled and admired his little girl. An inward frown hid itself well behind a fatherly smile; his little girl was blossoming wonderfully into a young woman in this dress. She was no longer a tiny bundle of sunshine to be cradled and protected. He sighed and reached one had towards her. He himself had dressed in a formal suit, not knowing what sort of costume, if any, would suit him in an enchanted forest setting. Titania seemed to have found her fashion niche living with her mother and it was lovely. He pulled her close to him and embraced her for a moment. Titania smiled slightly and returned the embrace. Though the forest would always be home deep down, she had missed the attention of her father terribly. Thomas broke the embrace and gently smoothed his daughter's hair back at her crown. "Let's go; everyone's waiting."

Titania nodded as they made their way to the main hall. She felt her heart begin to leap and twirl in her chest. Her lungs replied with a merry whistling and asked that her head at least spin once in acknowledgement. Of course, her head obliged and caused her to stumble a moment. She assured her father and Liz that she was fine as they approached the main hall and gave a half smile to them both. She had yet to genuinely smile since returning to New York, but Thomas knew that all of this was about to change if Prince Nuada accomplished what he hoped.

-------------------------------------------

Music from numerous artists and composers filled the room from the sound system that had been installed for Abe's benefit. The sound system was made to be able to perform music that would imitate a live performance done by an orchestra or symphony, but worked just as well for more modern pieces. Love songs from film and various other sources filled the room as colleagues of either parent danced and chatted. Other young adults that shared her tutors were also present, but Titania had barely come to know any of them. She danced once with three of her mother's associates and with a few other agents aside from the team members. Near midnight, Abe and Red each had an opportunity to dance with the girl, as did Thomas himself. The girl and her father stood facing one another in the centre of the room with a strained silence between them. Thomas sighed and shook his head.

"You look so beautiful, Titania," he said. "But you aren't happy here."

"I- I need some time to get used to things again," she replied sheepishly. "But I'm fine, really I am."

"No you're not, Tania. You're unhappy and frustrated. It all started with that mess in Ireland and it just hasn't gotten any better," he corrected. Titania frowned. She bit her bottom lip as she looked away, trying not to gaze directly into her father's eyes as she tried to hide her expression and the emotions that accompanied it that where still confusing to her. Thomas sighed and took both his daughter's hands in his, pulling them to his chest. "Tania, you don't want to be here. You miss that forest behind the house. You miss the tree house you told me about. And you miss that elf."

Titania frowned at the mention of the prince not only because she hated being reminded that she still had powerful feelings for him, but also because her father had referred to him by an entirely incorrect description. "He has a name, dad," she added with irritation. Thomas lifted a brow at her. She frowned and looked away. "And now he has a throne, with that, obligations and stuff. Even if I were there, he wouldn't have time to visit or protect . . . well . . . anything but his subjects. Faeries and things, they're dangerous for anyone to be around."

"You really think that he wouldn't want to protect you after everything that's happened?" Thomas said with curiosity. Titania shook her head sadly. "Why not?"

"He's busy, now. Besides, he hasn't abandoned his views on humans being inferior," she added. She shook her head and looked back at her father in bewilderment. "Why should that matter to you? I'm here and I don't have to deal with any of that anymore. Why do you care whether or not I trust him or want to be around him?"

"Because _you_ do," Thomas replied. Titania froze. Her father had touched a button lying exposed on the surface of her spirit. She looked away. Thomas sighed and placed a hand gently on the side of his daughter's face, turning her to face him. "Baby, I know you miss him and that you miss being there. I also know how scared you are of the things that happened to you. But you can't stay scared of the things you love forever just because you find out they aren't perfect. You'll never be happy if you can't be afraid from time to time and learn to move past it."

"I know, it just seems too hard to get out of my head," she said softly. A few tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "Everything else is impossible to get out of my heart."

"You shouldn't take things away from your heart, baby; not without doctor's supervision, anyway," Thomas replied. Titania giggled softly at her father's humour even in these situations. When allowed the freedom and given the right audience, Thomas Manning had charm. He smiled and stared down at the girl for a moment in silence. He had given her words to think about and she had taken them in. There was hope. "Maybe you'll think about going back after tonight."

"Why would I do that?" Titania asked.

She heard soft gasps and whispering around her. An angry hissing from her mother caught her full attention. As she and Thomas turned back to look at the crowd of people around them, they suddenly noticed that the guests had parted into two sections on either side of the main entrance. The guests stood whispering and pointing to a figure standing proudly in the doorway. Dressed in fine black and deep purple clothing that appeared to be meant for both battle and the court, was Prince Nuada. His golden white hair had been neatly set behind him with a small section pulled from the crown of his head into a braid leading down his back. His dark markings contrasted his blazing pale skin with sheer perfection. Titania found herself in the same awe as Liz had earlier, but with a measure of pure fear as well. Puck stood in front of the prince and raised himself on his haunches, shifting into a more human form.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Prince Nuada Silverlance the son of King Balor the lord of the Nightlands and leader of its peoples and reigning prince of Elfland," Puck said with a regal bow.

He stepped to the side and watched with a large grin (due mostly to the stunning sight of Titania in the dress he himself had commissioned) and allowed the prince to begin moving forward. A large clock in the far corner of the room loudly chimed in announcing the arrival of midnight, the bewitching hour. With each chime, the prince took two steps forward. He slowly moved past the crowd and stood several feet away from the girl and her father. He smiled and gripped the silver-hilted sword at his side as he bowed and reached a hand out to Titania. The girl hesitated. Thomas smirked and reached his own hand, still grasping his daughter's, out to the prince. He placed the girl's hand carefully in the elf's, giving the prince a sharp look to remind him of who was really in charge here and the consequences of straying from making Titania happy. The prince nodded to the man.

"Dr. Thomas Manning, might I have a word with your daughter?" he asked cautiously. Manning glanced at the girl who still stood perfectly silent and very still. He frowned and then nodded at the prince, stepping away from the two and pulling his hands gently away from Titania. Nuada's hands replaced his, gently grasping the girl's with tender familiarity. Titania continued to stare at the prince in disbelief. "Titania."

"Your highness," she whispered.

The prince smiled more brightly and glanced toward the ceiling as the lights around them dimmed and the soft chiming of bells introducing a new song began to play. Nuada gestured toward the rest of the room, silently asking the girl to dance. She remained still and drew up the edge of her mouth in apprehension. Not wanting to take no for an answer, Nuada took her by one hand and led her further into the middle of the room, praying that she would meekly follow. To his relief, she simply seemed to be instantly compensating his movements and not fighting him at all or running away. He pulled her one hand towards him and placed his other hand above her waist as he had been shown in lessons centuries before. Dancing was something that the magical realm had perfected. The two began to move slowly. The prince stepped and swirled deliberately, watching how gracefully the girl moved without even intending to make her movements beautiful. Whether or not she was an elf, he knew that he was right in thinking there was something inhuman and beautiful about her spirit. He smiled and breathed deeply. Liz had taught him the words to this song, professing up and down that it was a surefire way to catch Titania off guard and win his way back into her heart. Gazing deeply into her eyes, continuing to move, the prince began to sing.

"_There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel, open and closed within your eyes. I'll place the sky within your eyes_," he sang softly. Titania's eyes widened in astonishment laced with gladness. The prince smiled and continued, satisfied that this would do the girl at least a small amount of the good he had intended. "_There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast in search of new dreams, a love that will last within your heart. I'll place the moon within your heart_." The two moved easily across the floor, sweeping and swirling effortlessly. Titania felt the apprehension and fright swirl into the back of her mind and heart as they moved. "_As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all; but, I'll be there for you as the world falls down_." Titania looked around her, noticing something strange. The people around them seemed to be moving more and more slowly. "_I'll paint you mornings of gold, spin you Valentine evenings, though we're strangers til now we're choosing the path between the stars. I'll lay my love between the stars_." The prince watched the crowd and the clock as well, savouring the rare sensation of a marvelous plan going exactly as he had planned. "_As the pain sweeps through makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all; but, I'll be there for you as the world falls down_."

"What's happening?" Titania whispered in concern as the people around them suddenly ceased moving. She gasped and noted that things had stopped entirely; sound, movement, and even the air surrounding them seemed to be hesitating. "What's going on?!"

"The world is standing still," Nuada explained as he tightened his grasp on her hand. Titania looked up at him in confusion. He smiled. "I thought it would be less frightening for you to see time stand still rather than to see the world fall, as you have done to mine."

"_**Stop it**_! This fairy glamour and magic has to stop! It does horrible things to my world!" the girl exclaimed as fear suddenly pawed its way back to the forefront of her mind in the absence of the music and the prince's voice. She pulled her hand free of his and hurried back three paces. "Put everything back the way it was and go home."

"There was a time I would have said the very same thing to you, dear girl," the prince replied with a condescending smile. He folded his arms behind him and began to walk toward her slowly. Titania backed away as he advanced. "In all fairness, though, it seems to have been far easier for you to run away across the sea and try to forget about what you have done to me than for me to return to my throne and try to undo the witchcraft you have worked over me."

Titania moved backwards until bumping into something hard and soft all at once. She gasped and turned around, noticing that she had walked into the back of Red who was frozen with both hands on Liz in an awkward pose for dancing. She stared at the form of the demon as the elf moved behind her and softly placed both hands on her shoulders. Titania jumped and let out a small cry. She whirled around and stared up at the prince in fear. He smiled tenderly and moved one hand from her shoulder to her cheek, cupping her face fondly. She breathed deeply.

"What do you want from me?" she asked in nearly a whisper. Nuada stepped back, still holding onto the girl's hand as she raised her voice and looked from side to side in exasperation. "I saved your life in the forest, completed the three tasks with you, and helped you get back to the throne. What more do you want?!"

"I want to return the kindness that you've shown me. Putting aside the enchantment I am under in your eyes, there is still the matter of repaying every selfless and gentle gesture you performed when I was but a weeping mess, starving and shivering in the forest," he replied. Titania looked away, touched by the elf's recognition. "I have no bread to give you and you are in no need of shelter, but I can give you the warmth that you bestowed on me."

"I don't think I can ever feel that kind of warmth or tenderness again," she said sadly. "Not for magic, not for you."

"Stop thinking, then, and start believing. What you see and believe determines what you feel, not the other way around, dear girl," he said with a loving smile. Titania stared back in utter confusion. He turned and glanced at the clock. His expression fell a fraction as he turned back to Titania. "Come. I have something to show you and time is limited while I deal in the realm of mortals."

Titania sighed and finally found the presence to move her fear aside enough to follow the prince as he began to walk towards the door. The two past several frozen members of the crowd without incident. As they passed Puck, who stood smiling as he had spied on the two, the prince reached down and gently placed his hand at the rabbit-man's neck. His fingers grazed the amulet that allowed the pwca to travel. Nuada smiled and carefully withdrew the amulet, holding it aloft in one hand. He grasped it in his palm as he gazed into the odd brown stone, then began rubbing the surface pensively with his thumb. Titania observed the prince's deliberate movements with nearly the interest and curiosity she had once enjoyed.

She suddenly felt a rumbling and shifting beneath her, but heard no sounds of the earth moving. The walls around them rippled and warped as if they were curtains being blown back and away by a great breeze. Replacing the walls was a forest, covered in snow and lying silently in the night. Nuada smiled and breathed deeply in the cold night air. He had summoned the two beasts they were about to see when trying to convince the girl to stay and release her fears. Now, she would see them at their most incredible.

Titania narrowed her eyes as she felt the presence of the icy forest settle around her. "Where are we?" she asked as her teeth began to chatter. Nuada smiled and removed his outermost tunic, placing it around the sheer materials that barely shielded her shoulders.

"This is Bethmoora, Titania, but it is a portion of it that you have yet to see," he explained. The girl looked up at him in confusion as he turned his gaze to the distant set of trees that formed a circular clearing like the one they had seen the eclipse in. He raised his hand and hers together as a familiar thumping sound met him. "There," he said as he pointed with both appendages. "Watch. These creatures have not been in this forest for years. With your assistance in restoring the throne, they may yet populate its regions once more."

They breathed deeply, watching her breath dissipate as fog in front of her as she looked away from the clearing for a moment. She suddenly felt every hair on her body up to her neck stand on end as she heard a whinnying in the distance. She turned back to the sight of the edge of the clearing, feeling the prince's hand grasp hers more tightly. She felt her skin begin to tingle as the snow at the very edge of the clearing sprayed upward and two sets of four grey hooves raced through. Above the hooves were spindly white legs, and above the legs were pure white bodies belonging to horses, above the bodies were necks with enormous and beautiful manes, and above the necks were their heads with huge black-brown eyes and eyelashes, but above their foreheads stood long ivory horns twirling towards the sky like an enchanted spire. Titania gasped.

"Unicorns," she whispered. Nuada turned and watched her expression. The fear and anxiety had melted away entirely for the moment, replaced by awe and wonderment. Tears began to fill her eyes. She stepped forward a pace, now placing her other arm over the prince's wrist with excitement. "I have wanted to see unicorns all of my life."

The two unicorns, a young female and a male foal, pranced and kicked happily through the snow. Titania moved toward them, eyes opened more widely than they had been for some time. She smiled brightly and reached one hand, shaking, out towards the female. The two unicorns froze as the girl neared. The foal snorted and pranced in front of the female, kicking and shaking its head proudly as Titania approached. Nuada stepped forward as well, raising a hand and asking the female silently to allow the girl near. The female turned to face the prince, asking in her own language who the child was. When the prince explained, the unicorn turned and began to stride slowly up to Titania, lowering its head and cautiously sniffing the air in front of her.

"I think you will find that these creatures do not change," the prince said. Titania glanced over her shoulder at him. The unicorn stopped moving, standing perfectly still and silent in front of the girl. She stared into its enormous dark eyes with amazement. "There is no pretense in a unicorn, or desire to make war. They do not become cruel, violent, or unpleasant to look upon at all in their life. Evil can befall them, but they do not retaliate or desire to defend if it will bring harm to another. In the magical realm, I do not believe there is a more pure or noble creature. At least, I did not believe there was until most recently."

Titania placed a trembling hand cautiously on the unicorn's muzzle. The beast grunted happily as she felt its white fur move across her hand. She stroked downward and then pulled her hand away, beginning again. The elf moved closer. "What else could be more pure or noble?" Titania asked softly.

"Oh, there are several of them. Though they are much rarer than unicorns, harder to find, and certainly as delicate. They do have a drive to defend, though, and a desire to avenge that is not within these creatures. Still, I realized that they live and breathe treasuring, defending, and enjoying life as fully as unicorns," the prince continued. "They are not one species, but one spirit. Many names, many faces, one mindset." Titania turned away from the unicorn, staring at the elf in confusion as he moved to stand beside her. "Women," he replied softly. Titania lifted one brow inquisitively. "Women like Elizabeth Sherman who would have faced me armed with only the drive to defend her loved ones. Men as well; men like Thomas Manning who entered the unknown and faced Oberon with nothing guiding him but the desire to defend you. He was the one who destroyed the dark king, Titania, not I."

The girl looked away and smiled. "Dad was the one that cleared the way for you to assume the throne?" she mused.

"His thoughts were not aimed at my birthright, Titania, they were solely on destroying anyone in the way of his having you safely beside him," the prince interjected. The unicorn lifted its head and snorted at the girl playfully. It shook its mane wildly with a whinny, kicking up its front legs as it leapt a few feet away. Titania smiled and watched as the foal fumbled through the snow toward its companion and began hopping in circles. The two hesitated a moment, gazing patiently at the elf and human still standing in the forest. Nuada smiled and nodded to the female, signaling that she was free to go on about her business. The mare reared back, braying loudly as it galloped off into the rest of the forest with the foal not far behind. Titania turned and looked deeply into the prince's eyes, feeling liberated from her fear and drawn entirely into his words. He sighed and placed his hands around her shoulders. The forest around them began to ripple ever so slightly. "I have never believed in the promises of men, Titania. But being allowed to speak with you and know you has assured me of both their innocence and necessity. I had no idea what I had truly come to love until it had been stripped from me."

"Then you aren't going to destroy mankind?" she asked carefully. The prince smiled and shook his head. "And you see humans as equal to your kind?"

The prince frowned and took her by the hand, leading them forward. As the two walked toward the line of rippling trees forming the edge of the clearing, the trees disappeared and faded into the elaborate walls of the main hall. Titania gasped as warmth filled her once again. Nuada leaned down and placed the amulet back on Puck's neck. Titania suddenly realized that a good portion of the fear she had been feeling was now melted away, left behind along with the cold in the forest.

"As necessary as I believe humans to be, dear girl, there is no plausible way for me to see them as equals. Even for as much as you care for other creatures, you do not see animals as equals. You see them as something to care for, yes? Beings that need guidance and protection," he explained. Titania tried to think about an argument in opposition, realized that the prince was right. She sighed and nodded. He took both her hands in his once again and turned her to face him, slipping the tunic off her shoulders and putting it back on in one fluid movement. "And that is exactly how I view mankind."

"Then you'll always see me as a child, something to take care of but not to take seriously," she said sadly. The elf looked at her firmly and placed a hand under her chin. He raised her face to his and stared down into her eyes. "Is that it?"

"Hardly. You are no ordinary human," he replied. He reached into one of the small and almost undetectable pouches dangling from his belt. Titania watched him reach one hand into the sash and withdraw a strange object. It appeared to be a length of cloth woven from air, air of about four different colours. "Did you know that Titania was not the title of the sister of the seasons, that she was not the first to govern them? The first did not last very long because she gave herself to a mortal and was not willing to live alongside the other sisters with their protection. All the other sisters were the first and so their names became their titles. Titania, however, was given the position of _The Ostara_." The girl's eyes glowed at the mention of the name. Her books had spoken of the name, of the female spirit, briefly. Nuada smiled and allowed the odd cloth to flow freely between his hands as he held them out and displayed it. "For nearly two thousand years, the position of the Ostara has yet to be filled. It wears heavily on the soil, sky, and seas, I think."

"The seasons have become very different now than they have been in the past," Titania thought aloud. She watched the prince hold the cloth aloft and admire it more fully. "What is that?"

"It is yours, if you will have it. The Morrighan owed me a great debt according to the rest of the sisterhood. Rather than take something from her, I asked that something be given to another being in order to satisfy both the wrongs that she has caused and the harmful vacancy in the sisters' ranks," Nuada said with a broad grin. "This is the mantle of immortality, Titania. It will allow you to live with all the powers and protection of the sisterhood as the Ostara."

"Me?" Titania gasped. He nodded. "But I'm not anything amazing, I'm not magical. Why would you want me to do this?"

"For two reasons. First, there is no one else as versed in the subtleties of the forest during its changes that has been so observant of them since childhood. Second, it is the only way for me to be able to live beside you," he said. At the last few words, Titania could hear a tone of pleading that she had never expected to ever come from the prince. He was genuine and mournful all at once. She frowned and looked around at the frozen crowd, still not moving. "Please, Titania, come and join the magical realm."

"What about my dad and my mother?" she asked softly. The prince detected a heaviness that he himself had faced and was still moving beyond. "Won't that mean they'll die long before me?"

"I am sure that they would have had it no other way, Titania, regardless of whether you wore the mantle or not," he reasoned. She nodded and rubbed her hands together anxiously. The prince sensed his plan slipping ever so slightly. If Titania refused, he knew that he would pine away forever. He breathed deeply. "Titania, I cannot face any more tasks whether they be in the forest, for the court, or within my mind if I cannot be with you and have you beside me."

"This is what you want, really?" she asked, glancing at the cloth with admiration.

"I have expressed what I want in detail. What you want determines whether or not this mantle is yours to hold," he said. Titania looked up at him and then slowly gave him a broad grin. The prince felt every cell, every molecule of his being hold perfectly still and hold its own breath as he waited for her response. The girl breathed deeply and nodded.

"I accept," she said softly. Nuada gave a huge sigh of relief and lifted the mantle into the air. The clock at the other end of the room began to chime the twelfth hour once again. Titania watched the opulent cloth settle around her and felt a strange strength move through her veins as it disappeared. She smiled and looked back into the prince's eyes. "What do we do now?"

"I have stayed away from the court longer than I intended," the prince laughed as he pulled the girl into the embrace of another dance. "I believe I should return until the next full moon and that you should finish whatever education or training you feel is fitting for you as a young human. Your youth will only stay as long as you allow it, and your life is still your own. What will you do in the meantime?"

"I should probably go home before spring," she said with a smile. She gazed into the crowd as all of the guests began to move and turn with sounds once more. Nuala and Abe were standing off to the side looking over Leopold happily. Red and Liz were by themselves dancing and speaking quietly as well. Her father and Jenna were discussing something, a sight which gave Titania amusement and hope for the man. Nadia was speaking with several of her colleagues and watching her daughter with sighs of happiness. The girl shook her head and leaned against the prince. "I can't believe how afraid I was."

"I can," the prince replied as he savoured the moment. She smiled and breathed deeply as she heard his heart pulsing loudly with a similar contentment that his sister had come to know. "Fear has a place, but it becomes a hindrance when it drives us into the shadows away from the light that leads us toward our purpose."

"Then our story ends with the handsome prince and the young maiden finally dancing together at midnight," Titania said with a grin. She shook her head and laughed as they continued to move. "Do you still hate human fairytales and their cliché romantic endings?"

"Not if it means a happy ending," he replied with a wink.

Titania took in their surroundings a moment more. "I wish tonight could last forever," she sighed. She turned back to Nuada. "You?"

"It is a wonderful evening, a good ending," he replied as he leaned forward, hovering over face with a delighted anticipation gleaming in his eyes. "But it is only the first of many." The prince leaned forward and softly kissed the girl's cheek.

Titania breathed deeply and smiled. This was what she had truly wanted all of her life. She had never believed in a 'happily ever after' but an after that led to a tomorrow with Prince Nuada was more than satisfactory for the time being. She grasped his shoulders tightly, pressing her cheek into him. As the Ostara, she would see great changes in the earth and in humanity, but the constant love of the prince was going to be a marvelous mantle to display for the rest of their lives. And Prince Nuada, who had never believed in the promises of man, stood blessing the stars and moon for their fickle nature and willingness to see change as well as create it. So the two stood in their embrace, each changed and each fulfilled until destiny called on them again.


	42. Creation Casting and What's to Come

Hello loyal readers! I love including a section at the end to give credit to my sources of inspiration and reference and I encourage others to the same whenever they write a fiction that derives meat from other authors. I'll also answer questions that were sent to me via email and so on that seemed to repeat themselves from readers just like you. Thank you to the group that read and asked questions regularly in their reviews. I'm not a review hog, but I do love knowing that people are thinking about what they're reading by asking questions or commenting on them after they've read them! Okay, here goes!

**Q:** What's with the title?

**A:** **Big, Yellow Taxi** is a song by Counting Crows. The first part of the song goes '_They paved paradise and put up a parking lot with a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?_' When I first saw the film, the moment Prince Nuada talked about how man had destroyed the earth in the name of shopping malls and parking lots it was like the lyrics immediately started playing in my head. The thought that mankind and elves alike would not really know what they're missing (namely the company of one another) until it was taken from me was also inspiration in choosing this title.

**Q:** Where do you get the names for all the characters? I recognize Titania and Oberon, but what about the other names that are almost familiar like Puck and Morrighan?

**A:** Puck was another character from A Midsummer Night's Dream that, should you ever decide to read this awesome romp, was the mischievous assistant to Oberon. Titania and Oberon were, of course, the king and queen of the Fey in the play. As for names like the Morrighan, the Ceridwen, the Epona, Rhiannon, the Modron, the Aine, and the Ostara they are all from the Celtic and Germanic myths I was raised with. Misses Badcrumble was another neat name that I noted people reacting to. That was a name used in the stand up comedies of Eddie Izzard to describe his old, Scottish clarinet tutor.

**Q:** The stuff at the beginning and the poems within, where did they come from?

**A:** Both are my original work (the opening paragraph and the poems). There is a poem excerpt from Browning's Sonnets to the Portuguese (How Do I Love Thee?), lyrics to Sweeney Todd, and 'As the World Falls Down' in the story as well. The Great Ak, who is credited as being the author for the section at the beginning was a prominent, father-tree type figure from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.

**Q:** What the heck is up with Nuada singing Broadway? I could not see him sitting through a musical!

**A:** True, but the prince would have been exposed to them and been curious about them at some point. I had fought with myself about him either singing the Phantom or _Sweeney Todd_ and Todd had more lyrics about violence and vengeance which would just have thrilled a battle-hardened Celtic warrior like him.

**Q:** There were some weird objects mentioned like 'the Cauldron of the Deathless Few' and the 'Mantle of Immortality'. Where did those come from? Who are the Deathless Few?

**A:** 'The Mantle of Immortality' is granted to mortals to keep them from aging or growing weak like other mortals and is also from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The Cauldron of the Deathless Few is a take on The Black Cauldron which spawned the 'cauldron-born'. The Deathless Few, like the 'cauldron-born' were dead warriors from the most important ancient battles who could be summoned into reanimation by the one who controlled the cauldron. The Black Cauldron is part of an awesome series by Lloyd Alexander called _'The Chronicles of Prydain' _and they are very different from the Disney version that is also pretty good.

**Q:** Do you always have the story planned out? Why is it so long with so many chapters?

**A:** Could you imagine squeezing two or three of those chapter materials into just one document, crazy person?! Nah, seriously, that's a lot of material for one document and I have limited space. Besides, I have a skeletal outlay for all of my fictions when I write them, but the way they play out comes to me in dreams. I can't give several examples, but I often write dialogue and action sequences from further into the story when I'm just at the beginning because I've already dreamt them. The scene where Titania and Nuada find the elemental was written shortly after I wrote the first chapter because it came to me like that. I tie those pieces together and find it very hard to be succinct when trying to mimic or display a classic sense to my writing.

The last and most repeated question was '**Will there be a sequel?**' You people are starting to sound like my mom (who edits all of my work for mechanics and things and gives me a lot of feedback that makes the stories what you enjoy). The next pieces I post will be just for fun and will centre around the prince and his sister in their childhood as he relates the stories to Leopold. Then, I will post a story that is a sequel that has a point I think will be brought about in the next Hellboy installment. Who really wanted the separation, elves or man? In this story, other nations find out about the Golden Army (which has not truly been destroyed yet since the goblins were not in on the last battle with Hellboy and Nuada) and decide to seek it out. The US, who are at the forefront of some of the more corrupt actions in the name of the greater good, demands that Prince Nuada hand over not only the new location for their remains, but the way that they can be used again. When Nuada refuses, measures start to be taken to take totalitarian control over the magical races living there including members of the BPRD. Of course, you know, this means war. By this time, Leopold is sixteen and itching for a chance to prove himself and Titania is realizing how much the world is changing while she is not aging at all. Conflict, humour, intrigue, and revelations! Also, there is still Grindel to contend with and you all know that means I will have to add in a very important character to interact with the others . . . Beowulf. The thing is, I am in the middle of the most difficult and demanding year of my education in the health field. Writing is my escape, but it's hard to escape from textbooks and skills exams! Aha! Prince Nuada to the rescue!

Okay, now how many of you picture a movie playing out in your head when you read something? Everyone? Awesome! This is the cast that was present in my mind while creating the story:

**Titania Rhiannon Manning**- Anna Popplewell (some might remember her as Susan from Narnia)

**Prince Nuada Silverlance**- Luke Goss

**Puck/Lewis**- Oliver Platt (several movies, he's a teddy bear)

**Misses Badcrumble**- Julie Walters (Molly Weaseley from HP)

**Magnus**- Mark Williams (Mr. Weaseley from HP)

**Nadia**- Francis O'Connor (several films, Gwendolyn in the new Importance of Being Earnest)

**Hellboy/Red Broomfield**- Ron Perlman

**Liz/ Elizabeth Sherman Broomfield**- Selma Blair

**Abraham Sapien**- Doug Jones

**Princess Nuala Sapien**- Anna Walton

**Thomas Manning**- Jeffrey Tambor

**Dr. Johann Krauss**- Seth McFarlane

**Jenna Finkelstein**- Jenna Elfman (Dharma from Dharma and Greg)

**Dr. Timothy Welf**- Gary Sinse

**The Aine (Nuala and Nuada's Mother)**- Nicole Kidman

**The Morrighan**- Gina McKee (the dark queen from MirrorMask)

**The Modron**- Judi Dench (famous British Actress)

**The Epona**- Reese Witherspoon (who doesn't know her?)

**Rhiannon (voice)-** Emily Mortimer (Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle)

**The Clionatha**- Amy Adams (Giselle from Enchanted)

**The Ceridwen**- Diane Wiest (the sensible witch in Practical Magic)

**King Oberon**- Jeremy Irons (Scar from the Lion King)

**Jareth**- Rupert Everett (Algernon from the new Importance of Being Earnest)

**Seth**- Andy Serkis (Gollum from the new LOTR)

**Aradia**- Josie Maran (Aleera from Van Helsing)

**The Gnome King**- Ian Holm (Bilbo from the new LOTR)

Okay, so now I'll give you some books and films that were my points of reference. Whether you've seen these or not (and I hope you have!) you may want to check them out again to refresh your memory and enjoy their simple virtues once more. By taking time to enjoy the little things and remind ourselves of the pleasures stories give us, we will be young forever!

The Return to Oz- film and book

_Labyrinth_- film

Beowulf- book

Celtic Myth and Mankind: Heroes of the Dawn- book

The Last Unicorn- book and film

The Black Cauldron- book and film

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus- book and film

_Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street_- music only, the film and play are very gorey!

Howl's Moving Castle- book and film

_The Enchanted Forest Chronicles_- book series

**The Music of:**  
Nightwish  
Inkubus/Sukkubus  
Enya  
Loreena McKennitt  
Blackmore's Night  
Q-Kumba Zoo

Again, thank you to everyone for their help and encouragement!


End file.
